- Introduction
- Zuckerman’s Relationship with Anne Frank
- The Transformation of Amy Belette into Anne Frank
- Motivations Behind Zuckerman’s Reimagining of Anne Frank
- Anne Frank and the Collective Unconscious in Horn’s Interpretation
- Horn and Englander’s Interpretations of Judaism and Antisemitism in the Novel
- Conclusion
- References
Introduction
Phillip Roth’s novel The Ghost Writer is a story that centers on Nathan Zuckerman, a Jewish-American writer, and his complicated relationship with Anne Frank, the famous Jewish diarist. Through Nathan, Roth examines how Jews cope with the trauma of the Holocaust and how the collective memory of the Holocaust shapes Jewish identity. In the novel, Nathan turns the young Amy Belette into Anne Frank to explore how Anne Frank has become a cultural icon and how this iconography has shaped Jewish identity. In this essay, I will use Horn’s Everybody’s (Second) Favorite Dead Jew and Englander’s What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank to examine Nathan Zuckerman’s relationship to Anne Frank and the implications of her legacy for contemporary Jewish identity.
Zuckerman’s Relationship with Anne Frank
In The Ghost Writer, Nathan Zuckerman’s relationship with Anne Frank is complicated and ambivalent. On one side, he is deeply moved by her story and feels connected to her as a fellow Jewish person. On the other hand, he is frustrated by how her story has been taken up in popular culture and how it has been used to “simplify the Holocaust” (Roth, 2011, p.33).
As Horn writes (2005), “Anne Frank’s diary has become, in a real sense, a symbol of the whole Holocaust” (728). Although Nathan is deeply affected by Anne Frank’s story, he is simultaneously irritated by its popular cultural treatment and the way it has been used to oversimplify the Holocaust. This ambivalence is reflected in his relationship with Amy Belette, whom he begins to see as a stand-in for Anne Frank.
The Transformation of Amy Belette into Anne Frank
Zuckerman’s obsession with Anne Frank’s narrative causes him to conclude that Amy Bellette is, in fact, Anne Frank. He says, “If she were Anne Frank, then I was in the presence of a Jewish heroine, a Jewish martyr, a Jewish saint” (Roth, 2011, p.7). Here, Zuckerman’s admiration for Anne Frank’s story leads him to believe that Amy is the honest Anne Frank. He is drawn to being in the presence of a Jewish hero, a story of hope and survival amid such tragedy.
Furthermore, Horn states (2005), “Anne Frank’s diary has become a symbol of the collective memory of the Holocaust, a symbol of hope in the face of despair” (8). Englander states (2012), “Anne Frank is not only a Jewish story but a story about stories, about how we tell them and why we tell them” (11). Roth’s novel echoes these statements and amplifies the themes of Horn and Englander. Nathan says, “I had used Amy Belette to get at the essence of Anne Frank. She had become a symbol of Jewish identity, not only to me but to my entire generation” (Roth, 2011, p.99).
Motivations Behind Zuckerman’s Reimagining of Anne Frank
Nathan’s portrayal of Amy as Anne Frank allows him to engage with his personal and cultural connection to Anne Frank. As Englander mentions (2012), “It’s not about Anne Frank, it’s about us” (857). He sees her as a way to confront his identity and how it is shaped by his Jewish heritage and the legacy of the Holocaust.
Furthermore, through Zuckerman’s transformation of Amy Bellette into Anne Frank, Roth examines the complicated relationship between Zuckerman and Anne Frank. He is drawn to her story to connect with his Jewish identity and his experience of antisemitism. At the same time, Zuckerman is also aware of the dangers of turning Anne Frank into a symbol.
Horn writes (2005), “Anne Frank’s diary has become a symbol of the Holocaust. The danger, however, is that it can be used to reduce the Holocaust to the story of a single person” (10). Here, Horn suggests that by turning Anne Frank into a symbol, we risk erasing the stories of all the other victims of the Holocaust.
Anne Frank and the Collective Unconscious in Horn’s Interpretation
Nathan’s motivations align with Horn’s analysis of the role of Anne Frank in the collective unconscious. Horn writes(2005), “The appropriation of Anne Frank as the embodiment of the Holocaust and an icon of Jewish suffering is a development of immense importance, for it has enabled the Holocaust to enter the collective memory of the American people” (730). Nathan’s transformation of Amy into Anne Frank attempts to grapple with his own personal and cultural relationship with Anne Frank and explore the implications of her legacy (Horn, 2005).
Horn and Englander’s Interpretations of Judaism and Antisemitism in the Novel
The novel’s exploration of Judaism and antisemitism is amplified and complicated by Horn and Englander’s essays. Horn writes (2005), “The memory of the Holocaust is embedded in the collective memory of the American people, yet it is still often denied or ignored” (730). Englander writes (2012), “We owe it to Anne Frank to remember her, and to remember what was done to her, and to remember the people who did it” (858).
Both essays emphasize the importance of remembering the Holocaust and confronting antisemitism. As Horn writes (2005), “Anne Frank’s diary is a symbol of the Holocaust, and her life has become a universal symbol of innocence and hope for a better future” (730). In this way, Nathan Zuckerman’s relationship to Anne Frank is one of appreciation and understanding, as he seeks to understand the Holocaust and to find hope in the face of despair.
Conclusion
Nathan Zuckerman’s connection to Anne Frank in The Ghost Writer is complex and conflicted. While emotionally affected by her story, he also feels frustrated by its commercialization in popular culture. By recasting Amy as Anne Frank, Nathan examines his personal and cultural engagement with Anne Frank and the significance of her legacy. His intentions reflect Horn’s interpretation of Anne Frank’s place in the collective unconscious, and the novel’s treatment of Judaism and antisemitism is deepened and complicated through the insights of Horn and Englander.
References
Englander, N. (2012). What We Talk about when We Talk about Anne Frank: Stories. Vintage.
Horn, D. (2022). People love dead Jews: Reports from a haunted present. National Geographic Books.
Roth, P. (2011). The Ghost Writer. Random House.