Upon reading the article “Search for the Fallen in a Now-Quiet Forest” by Jeffrey Fleishman, one is able to see the clear similarities between Erwin Kowalke and the title character in Sophocles’ Antigone. Kowalke, instead of interring the dead in order to achieve a cosmic balance to please the gods, unearths remains in order to provide peace for the loved ones who still grace the earth. Thus, the themes of peace and order are present in both stories. Both people face obstacles that prevent them from achieving their identical goal: to give the dead a proper burial. Kowalke is unable to bury the remains he finds properly because more often than not he is unable to identify them. Antigone faces the obstacle of her uncle, King Creon, who refuses to allow a traitor to be buried honorably. Furthermore, the two function as martyrs who are willing to do what others refuse to; Antigone faces opposition from her sister while Kowalke faces indifference from the leaders of East Germany (and the general population). There is also a similarity between the dead in both stories. The leaders in the stories all feel that the deceased in question were aggressive and traitorous instigators of death and hatred who deserve to remain anonymous and improperly buried. Finally, the theme that appears to be the most apparent in both these stories is that of the preservation of honor. Kowalke says that “the dead deserve a bit of honor” while Antigone refuses to ignore the laws that “the gods hold in honor” (91-92).
4 comments:
i love the line in which you mention the "opposition" antigone faces from her sister and the "indifference" kowalke faces from the leaders of east germany--you do a lovely job of juxtaposing these references, bringing in their similarities and their subtle but important differences. can we say more about these two types of violence--"opposition" and "indifference"?
i thought identifying the themes of peace and order was interesting. usually the two are associated with each other, but in these cases the two aren't necessarily complements.
You made comparisons that I didn't see until I read your blog. The only connection I initially saw between Kowalke and Antigone was their desire to honor the dead. The other similarities would seem obvious enough (except for someone like me who didn't analyze either reading enough!), but they way you presented them was eye-opening, as well as well-organized.
Good comparison between the two and how similar they are from one another. You've drawn connections to Antigone from modern time to show how it is an 'ageless' work. By presenting what happened in Fleishman's article, you show us what is happening, but then you connect it to Antigone and connect it to a common theme.
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