Melanie Morrison Response

In Laub’s Bearing Witness, I found it interesting how, considering on the different accounts of how one may have experienced or heard about a situation, views on this situation are altered. When the survivor of Auschwitz spoke about her memories from her time there, historians wouldn’t claim her as a reliable source. When she spoke about the bombings, something like the number of chimneys destroyed would not have as strong as an impact as everything else that was going on at the time. It seemed as though her memory primarily focused on the chaos surrounding her at the moment and the exact details would be later altered in memory. It’s also interesting how people subconsciously pick memories in which they remember in great detail, but other memories are not so clear. The survivor remembered how she also brought belongings of gas victims to the inmates who needed them for survival however; she couldn’t remember the exact name of what she was working under. Laub also says how, “She was perking up again as she described these almost breathtaking exploits of rescue.” However, after he asked about the name being Canada Commando, she seemed almost startled. Even at that time she seemed to only want to remember her heroic actions instead of the situations around her, such as people being murdered in order for her to receive the items. History alters a bit and perceptions are different based on the people who experience it in the exact moment it is taking place from those who learn of it at a later time. Because of that, exact details may never match up between different witnesses.