Guilt, responsibility and coincidence in Mulisch’s novel, The Assault Essay Example

to move it to the Steenwijk family home where Anton lives. However, when Anton's brother attempts to relocate the body, German Nazis intervene and arrest Anton's parents before executing them and setting their house on fire. In the midst of this chaos, Anton is accidentally left behind in a car as the Nazis continue their destructive actions.

Subsequently, one of the Germans takes Anton and imprisons him in a dark cell with one of the alleged killers involved in the death of the Dutch collaborator. Despite being unable to see each other due to darkness, this encounter leaves a lasting impression on Anton. Ultimately, it is revealed that even the Nazis themselves transport Anton along with his uncle and aunt to Amsterdam.

The following four episodes focus on Anton's struggle to erase the traumatic experience from his past. However, he constantly encounters people who were somehow connected to that dreadful night by mere coincidence.

In the second episode, which takes place in 1952, Anton begins to uncover the truth behind the event. Initially, he receives the news of his parents and brother being executed on that fateful night in 1945. Additionally, he encounters Mr. and Mrs. Beumer at their home in Haarlem, where they discuss their firsthand experiences during the murder.

Moving on to the third episode in 1956, Anton has another significant chance encounter. This time, he meets Fake Ploeg, the son of a Nazi collaborator, during a demonstration.

The fourth episode, set in 1966, involves Anton meeting Takes, the other individual responsible for the collaborator's demise.

Lastly, in the final episode in 1981, our protagonist encounters Karin Korteweg. Together with

her father, she had transported the deceased body from their residence to the Steenwijk household.

Each of these encounters plays a crucial role in helping Anton unravel the truth about what truly occurred and the reasons behind it.

This novel can be approached from various perspectives. It can be considered as a psychological drama, a historical documentary (with some fictional events like the Hungarian revolt of 1956 and the massive peace demonstration in Amsterdam in 1981), a mystery story, an exploration of guilt and responsibility following World War II, and even philosophically, as an attempt to understand this guilt and responsibility.

The novel explores the themes of responsibility, guilt, and coincidence and their development. It specifically focuses on the characters involved in the events of that night.

The Netherlands was occupied by the Nazis during World War II, but by 1945, half of the country had been liberated by the Allies. Despite this progress, the Netherlands continued to face challenges such as the Hunger Winter and increased German policies in response to resistance.

Within this context, there exist two communists who are part of an organized resistance group. They carry out the assassination of a Dutch collaborator as an escalated effort against the Nazis, aiming to swiftly win the war. Nonetheless, this act occurs in front of a neighborhood, potentially bringing negative consequences for its residents. Despite being "potential" innocent victims themselves, eliminating this collaborator may have prevented the deaths of numerous Jewish families. Tragically, Anton's family is murdered, leaving a child orphaned and burdened with emotional trauma that will haunt him throughout his life.

Examining the reactions of the

neighbors, it is noteworthy that Mr. Korteweg and his daughter moved the body towards the Steenwijks' house. This action, although seemingly absurd, was done to protect his lizards. It should be mentioned that he did not leave the body in front of the Aarts' house because he knew they were sheltering a Jewish family. Despite this consideration, Mr. Korteweg eventually took his own life due to overwhelming guilt for causing someone's death solely to save his animals. On the other hand, out of concern for their safety, the Beumers - who were friends of the family - chose not to intervene and stayed home during this incident.

So here we have various reactions that raise questions about the guilt and innocence of these individuals, just as Anton contemplates: `Was guilt innocent and innocence guilty?' Regarding Truus -the woman in the cell- and Takes, one could argue that they bear more responsibility for the consequences because they were aware that the Nazis would severely punish those they believed to be guilty. However, how guilty would they be if they sacrificed a few lives to save thousands? In Mr. Korteweg's case, is he truly guilty for all the consequences of moving the body? Can someone act rationally under such immense pressure? Often, in such circumstances, people tend to react quickly and impulsively. Korteweg ultimately takes his own life, but how guilty was he? Was his suicide justified considering that he also saved the lives of the Jewish and Aarts families?

However, it should also be questioned whether Anton's family was truly blameless. Peter, Anton's brother, had a desire to leave the deceased body in front

of the Beumer's house, which could also imply his guilt. Additionally, if the body had ended up in front of a different neighbor's house by chance, how would the Steenwijk family have responded?

The story also highlights the role of Ploeg, who is the son of a collaborator associated with the Nazi party. I will specifically focus on this character. After the Second World War, a strict denazification policy was introduced, which considered these children guilty solely because they were offspring of Nazis. Consequently, Ploeg's mother was sent to a camp and he himself was enrolled in a Catholic school despite not being Catholic. When his mother eventually regained freedom, they had to move to another city due to their home in Haarlem being already occupied. As a result, these children faced social isolation within Dutch society.

According to the quote, the taboo surrounding children born to Nazis is a significant aspect of their situation, making them feel as though they lack the right to exist. The process of acknowledging their right to belong and finding purpose in their destiny is complex. Like many other children of Nazis, Ploeg struggles with accepting that his father could have been involved in well-known crimes against Jews, which poses difficulties for him. In "My Fathers Keeper: Children of Nazi Leaders--An Intimate History of Damage and Denial" by Norbert Lebert, Stephan Lebert, and Julian Evans, various attitudes displayed by these children towards their fathers are explored. Some view their fathers as admirable individuals while one acknowledges his father's responsibility for significant crimes. On the other hand, some despise their fathers' actions. Ploeg tries to rationalize his father's

deeds possibly due to his love for him preventing him from considering the possibility that his father committed such horrific acts. When contemplating Ploeg's circumstances, we must question how accountable he should be held for his father's actions and what approach we should adopt when encountering individuals who are offspring of those who have perpetrated such atrocities.

In his novel, Mulisch depicts complex characters who are both guilty and innocent simultaneously. Additionally, he portrays a dichotomy between "good" and "bad" Nazis. For instance, a member of the SS is seen as "good" when he chooses to personally transport Anton to Amsterdam. Conversely, the Germans are seen as "bad" for burning Steenwijk's house. As a result, Mulisch attempts to highlight these moral paradoxes that exist within human beings.

The role of coincidence is significant in the novel. For example, during a game, the Steenwijk family experiences an assault and Anton happens to keep the dice in his pocket. These dice can symbolize the element of chance. Throughout the book, numerous coincidences take place, beginning with the assault in front of the neighborhood and followed by Anton's chance encounters with various characters. The Beumer family believes that their house was spared from having the body in front of it due to divine protection. However, Mrs. Beumer questions the implications of this, suggesting that perhaps Anton was not spared. This leads to questioning whether these coincidences were predetermined by fate or possibly orchestrated by God. The book does not provide definitive answers to these inquiries, even when Anton eventually uncovers the truth about that fateful night.

Anton's response distinguishes him from other characters. While they

seek revenge against the murderers, Ploeg's son, and the Kortewegs, Anton is depicted as a compassionate individual who seeks to understand and forgive everyone involved in the incident. His main goal is to move on from it and erase it from his memory.

In conclusion, I believe that the book raises unresolved questions regarding reactions and behavior in difficult situations. Personally, I believe that every individual possesses conflicting qualities, such as selfishness and compassion, kindness and cruelty. The book also explores the contradiction between certain human actions and their deeper meaning. It suggests that perhaps we all have elements of both "good" and "bad" within us, simultaneously guilty and innocent. In times of fear and repression, our true character may be revealed, leading us to behave in unpredictable ways. Therefore, the character's controversy prompts moral inquiries, such as whether we are all accountable for our actions or if guilt and innocence are subjective concepts.