Ruth Kluger

The passage that I will do a close reading on is chapter 11, page 50-51. This passage has to do with Kluger's feelings on Nazi propaganda. It is interesting to note why one reads books that are forbidden or band. Gandhi believed that people read banned or forbidden books in order to create a counterpublic. At first, Kluger tried to stay away from these forbidden pieces because she knew that sooner or later she would be forced to put it away. The one think that Kluger really wanted to read was Nazi publication and watch Nazi propaganda films. This is interesting because I am sure that Kluger was not the only Jewish person in this time period who wanted to know more about the Nazi propaganda. It is true that these propaganda publications were extremely anit-Jewish; however, Jewish people were still interested in seeing them because "it taught [them] the dominant ideology" which one could not simply ignore. Kluger describes the representations of the the Jewish actors in comparison to the Aryan actors. I believe that I too would want to read something that was banned or forbidden. Just the fact that one is not allowed to read sparks a great interest. Questions start racing to your head and you wonder why can't you read? what is so special about this book/movie that it is only for a certain group of people? etc. I also agree with Kluger when she says that they should watch Nazi publications and movies in order to know "what we were up against." Even if the answer is obvious, watching stuff like this makes one more educated and aware of your surroundings. Movies and publications have a bias and can manipulate the behavior and ideology of people. That is the point of propaganda. All in all, Kluger's interest in something banned or forbidden is not unseen of or abnormal.