Milkweed Post

As someone who has read a decent amount of historical fiction discussing the Holocaust, I was quite impressed withMilkweed. Most of what I have read is not from the perspective of a child/adolescent, and Misha’s naïve nature and search for identity in the Holocaust is familiar yet resolute. The story very matter-of-factly deals with so many issues of the Holocaust. Meeting a Nazi afterwards (fatman), life after the Holocaust in Europe and America, the world returning to normal, asking “Why me?” and wanting to die, life in the Ghetto as a non-Jew and as a Jew, the disbelief that the concentration camps could be real, etc. However, none of these situations are ever so overwhelming or realistic because the story is more about personal relationships rather than the Holocaust.

Identity for adolescents is a common theme, however, it is also a theme in many Holocaust novels and short stories. The experience is such that it can rip away the connection one has to his or her self, to loved ones and to the world. I think Milkweed does not necessarily represent any loss of identity since Misha doesn’t exactly know himself at the beginning of the novel and is not actually Jewish. The story is more about the search for identity, and since during the Holocaust identity was tough to ascertain, Misha’s journey to find his true name is long and tireless. That is why I think this book could work well in a classroom in both teaching students about the Holocaust and their own identities, though I feel it is more about identity in dealing with difficult issues.

Questions:

After reading The Wave by Todd Strasser, I was inundated with ideas about teaching the Holocaust. What do you think is the best way to do this and how can Milkweed contribute?

How can Milkweed be taught as something other than a Holocaust novel? Is this the way it should be taught?

What is the significance of Misha’s naivete? How is this a good jumping off point for teaching the novel?