Early Holocaust Memoirs and the Influence of their Paratexts

This study examines the reception histories of three early Holocaust memoirs: Elie Wiesel’s Night, Miklos Nyiszli’s, Auschwitz: A Doctor’s Eyewitness Account, and Gisella Perl’s I was a Doctor in Auschwitz. It will analyse how paratexts alongside cultural contexts and reception history have shaped the interpretation of these works. With all three memoirs, there is a central theme that these complex narratives are reduced to simplistic archetypes by the paratexts surrounding them. This means that the testimonies themselves are overshadowed, and the focus is on the ethical dilemmas of the authors. This MPhil highlights the crucial need for critical engagement with the texts to ensure that knowledge moves beyond oversimplification. The reception history of these three memoirs has been influenced by early critical analyses and by examining these factors, this research contributes to a more nuanced understanding of the challenges and opportunities of transmitting historical memory.