| Abstract: | Reviews the book, The legacy of the Holocaust: Psychohistorical themes in the second generation by Robert M. Prince (see record 2000-08422-000). The concept that the Holocaust is a unique event in human history has been seriously debated. Is the Holocaust comparable to savage massacres of other groups at other times in civilization? Or is it an event that, because of its enormity, transcends all other barbarities in modern history? If it is unique, then this uniqueness must attach itself to the identity of the children of the survivors of the Holocaust. Prince addresses this issue of identity in this book. Prince identifies three significant sources of influence in the lives of these children: the parents' character style and their relationship with their children, the active participation of the children in imagery from their parents' past, and the cultural context in which the children have been raised. How these influences interweave and transform each other is a major focus of the study. The second focus is the relationship between the children of Holocaust survivors "and the events of history, involving observation of their adaptation to history and anticipation of their effect on it" (p. 15). Prince has undertaken an ambitious project. He has attempted to apply a psychoanalytically-informed methodology to the study of the Holocaust. He offers a scientific approach to the study of the transmission of trauma from one generation to the next. The work raises issues and questions that, it is hoped, will motivate others to continue the inquiry. The book strives to find meaning in response to the unimaginable and the unthinkable acts of mankind. It merits a place in the library of anyone concerned with the Holocaust or interested in psychohistorical explorations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
