Random Destinations: Escaping the Holocaust and Starting Life Anew

217 Pages·2005·0.767 MB·English

by  Lilian R. Furst (auth.)

andom estinations
R D
This page intentionally left blank
andom estinations
R D
scaping the olocaust and
E H
tarting ife new
S L A
Lilian R. Furst
RANDOMDESTINATIONS
© Lilian R.Furst,2005.
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2005 978-1-4039-6975-0
All rights reserved.No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any
manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief
quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
First published in 2005 by
PALGRAVE MACMILLAN™
175 Fifth Avenue,New York,N.Y.10010 and
Houndmills,Basingstoke,Hampshire,England RG21 6XS
Companies and representatives throughout the world.
PALGRAVE MACMILLAN is the global academic imprint of the Palgrave
Macmillan division of St.Martin’s Press,LLC and of Palgrave Macmillan Ltd.
Macmillan® is a registered trademark in the United States,United Kingdom
and other countries.Palgrave is a registered trademark in the European
Union and other countries.
ISBN 978-1-349-53145-5 ISBN 978-1-4039-7941-4 (eBook)
DOI 10.1057/9781403979414
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Furst,Lilian R.
Random destinations :escaping the Holocaust and starting life anew /
Lilian R.Furst.
p.cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1.English fiction—20th century—History and criticism.2.Refugees,Jewish,
in literature.3.English-speaking countries—In literature.I.Title.
PR888.J4F87 2005
23(cid:2).914093529924—dc28 2005047208
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Design by Newgen Imaging Systems (P) Ltd.,Chennai,India.
First edition:September 2005
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
To the Memory of my parents, Dr. Desider Furst and
Dr. Sara Furst-Neufeld, who had the wisdom to guide me to safety,
and to all those members of the Furst family
who did not manage to escape.
This page intentionally left blank
ontents
C
Acknowledgments ix
To the Reader xi
Introduction: “Shards from the Explosion” 1
London
1 “Twin Souls”: Anita Brookner, TheLatecomers(1990) 21
2 “The Hidden Abyss”: Gillian Tindall, To the City(1987) 37
3 A “Success Story”: Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, “A Birthday
in London” (1963) 49
British Provinces
4 “Try to Forget”: Maureen Duffy, Change(1987) 63
5 “To Serve under the Chimney”: W.G. Sebald,
“Max Ferber,” The Emigrants(1992) 73
New York
6 “The Great Loss”: Bernard Malamud, “The German
Refugee” (1963) 91
7 “An Abundance of Happiness”: Ruth Prawer Jhabvala,
In Search of Love and Beauty(1983) 101
8 “A Bizarre Double Game”: Isaac Bashevis Singer,
Shadows on the Hudson(1998) 119
U.S. Provinces
9 “Can You Harmonize?”: Carol Ascher, The Flood(1987) 135
10 “An Inconsequential Appendix and Coda”: Randall
Jarrell, “Constance and the Rosenbaums” in
Pictures from an Institution(1954) 149
viii Contents
India
11 “Accepting—but not Accepted”: Anita Desai,
Baumgartner’s Bombay(1988) 163
12 The “Hanger-On”: Ruth Prawer Jhabvala,
“An Indian Citizen” (1968) 175
Conclusion: “A Bit in the Middle of Nowhere” 187
Notes 197
Bibliography 203
Index 209
cknowledgments
A
I
t is a pleasure to express my thanks to the many people who have helped me
in various ways during the course of my work on this study:
Alice Kuzniar, who started my reflections by urging me to go and see Into the
Arms of Strangers, and who invited me to contribute to the University of
North Carolina’s series on German–Jewish cultural relations.
Ester Zago, as ever, whose enthusiasm for and belief in the value of the
project has sustained me throughout, and who arranged at an early stage to
have me address the Boulder Jewish Community Center.
Madeline G. Levine, whose stimulating suggestions prompted new ideas, and
whose computer expertise was decisive in dealing with my stubbornly
dyslexic software.
Marina Alexandrova, my model research assistant, who so willingly gave me
help far beyond the call of duty.
Willi Goetschel, who invited me to speak at the University of Toronto.
Wolfgang Wierscheim, who sent me W.G. Sebald’s Austerlitz in summer
2001 on its publication in Germany.
Susan Groag Bell, who arranged to have Anita Brookner’s The Next Big
Thingmailed to me from England.
Anabel Aliaga-Buchenau and Ingrid Aliaga-Weber, for giving me Stefanie
Zweig’sNirgendwo in Afrika.
Warren A. Nord of the University of North Carolina’s Program in the
Humanities and Human Values, who asked me to speak at a summer seminar
for middle- and high-school teachers.
Erika H. Casey, whose continuing interest and sound judgment were a
lasting source of support.
Wolfgang Frank, who invited me to speak at the Institute for Social Research
in Frankfurt, Germany.
Janice H. Koelb, for her great patience with my repeated stupidity at the
computer.
Dr. C.F. Irons, last but by no means least, whose insights fostered a deeper
understanding of the entire topic.