1. How would you categorize Those Who Save Us: as a war story, a love story, a mother-daughter story? Why? How is it different from other novels that address the issues surrounding the Holocaust? What new perspectives does it offer?
More than a war story or a love story I see Those Who Save Us as a mother-daughter story. It would be unfulfilling to read this expecting a love story. Certainly, though it does offer insight to the war, it cannot be considered a war story either. The story is about a mother and her daughter, and a daughter and her mother, and the invisible wall between them that for so long has kept them from knowing one another and from knowing about the past. As a mother, the wall is a form of protection, shielding the young. As a daughter, the wall is a barrier, keeping a very real part of who she is out of reach and off limits. As the reader, we see the great sacrifices the mother has made for the safety of her daughter. We also see the hurt that dictates the daughter's life because of her resentment for what she does not realize was her mother saving her.
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