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Introduction

Critical Analysis: Walking Since Daybreak In his short piece, Language and Historical Representation, Hans Kellner begins by writing "Get the Story Crooked!"1 By this, he implies that there is no single 'straight' way of telling history and that the long-standing and conventionally accepted belief of the perceived 'straightness' of historical discourse is simply groundless. As a text rich with examples of postmodern and post-colonial writing, Modris Eksteins' Walking Since Daybreak is a wonderfully layered account with which one can attempt to prove Kellner's main point. Employing a unique non-linear narrative structure, the book moves from place to place and time period to time period with great (if at times a little disorienting) frequency. And unlike many historical accounts, memory- through the use of letters, journal entries and stories passed down from generation to generation- is a key source in the telling of this particular tale. Thus, the purpose of the essay will be to use these (as well as a few other) points to help argue for the 'crookedness' of this particular text. Eksteins' philosophy on the nature of modern history is made clear from the outset: Gone are the pre-1945 notions of agents, victors and causation.2 If historians were quick to proclaim victors after the end of the war, he certainly doesn't. ...read more.

Middle

artillery fire mere feet from the refugees' and Displaced Persons' b**b shelters- this is what it was like to be on the 'borders' of warfare, as he so aptly puts it. More subtly however is the use of his grandmothers' character to portray this sense of fragmentation: Greita for instance, is introduced to the reader as a fair and innocent young lady. Taken advantage of by her Baltic German master, she is essentially cast to the wayside but remains in his employ and under her masters' watch. A change had taken place however- the once innocent girl had now been corrupted. "She seemed unable to disengage from her fling with fable and fortune. She exuded pretense and prejudice toward the household help and even her own family. As her beauty faded, she became miserly and bitter."9 Her soul, Eksteins writes, had been splintered. Similarly, the Baltic land, rich with untapped natural resources had been fought over since the twelfth century.10 The battle between the indigenous population and Christianity preceded the horrors of the twentieth century, when the Baltic peoples were constantly in the clutches of their stronger neighbours, whether it be the Soviet Union or Germany. If they stayed, they were the subject of a tug-of-war between two powerful forces, their land slowly eroded. ...read more.

Conclusion

-Nora, Pierre . "Between Memory and History." Representations 60 (1989): 1. 1 Jenkins, Keith. The postmodern history reader. London: Routledge, 1997. P127 2 Eksteins, Modris. Walking since daybreak: a story of Eastern Europe, World War II, and the heart of our century. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1999. P.12 3 Ibid, 13. 4 Eksteins, Modris. Walking since daybreak: a story of Eastern Europe, World War II, and the heart of our century. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1999. P.42 5 Ibid, 220. 6 Kelertas, Violeta. Baltic postcolonialism. Amsterdam: Rodopi, 2006. P.3 7 P.5 8 Kelertas, Violeta. Baltic postcolonialism. Amsterdam: Rodopi, 2006. P.8 9 Eksteins, Modris. Walking since daybreak: a story of Eastern Europe, World War II, and the heart of our century. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1999. P.5 10 Ibid, 8. 11 Eksteins, Modris. Walking since daybreak: a story of Eastern Europe, World War II, and the heart of our century. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1999. P.72 12 Nora, Pierre . "Between Memory and History." Representations 60 (1989): 8. 13 Ibid, 13. 14 Nora, Pierre . "Between Memory and History." Representations 60 (1989): 15. 15 Eksteins, Modris. Walking since daybreak: a story of Eastern Europe, World War II, and the heart of our century. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1999. P.185 16 Ibid, 69. 17 Eksteins, Modris. Walking since daybreak: a story of Eastern Europe, World War II, and the heart of our century. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1999. P.187 18 Ibid, 219. ...read more.

This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our University Degree 1920-1949 section.