Israeli Holocaust Memory in a short story by Etgar Keret

Abstract

This article examines “Shoes” a canonical short story by Israeli author Etgar Keret, part of the new wave of Israeli authors that came of age in the 1990s, Renowned for his micro-fiction, the best-selling author often visits the theme of the Holocaust, dissecting the complex emotions of guilt and confusion the Holocaust stirs and evokes in young Israelis. The tale, which employs a postmodern sensibility to deconstruct the theme of Holocaust memorialization and education in Israel, especially amongst Jewish teens, features a third-generation protagonist. Employing his trademark mordant humour, it furnishes readers with an irreverent and quirky, though sensitive integration of Shoah traces wit..