Echoes of the Holocaust: Female Survival in I Who Have Never Known Men

Abstract

Author Jacqueline Harpman, who spent her childhood as a refugee fleeing Nazi persecution, wrote I Who Have Never Known Men in 1995.  The novel follows the story of a girl growing up in captivity as she discovers what it means to be human through the guidance and strength of her fellow inmates despite their bleak circumstances.  By examining passages from Harpman's novel and historical accounts of life under Nazi occupation, this essay argues that Harpman in her novel pulls from testimonies and personal experience to intentionally parallel the female experience of the Holocaust.  Further, Harpman's purpose behind crafting these similarities reflects her views on the patriarchy's threat to human survival, and how women's efforts towards community building and emotional endurance make women crucial to the continuance of a human race that has been compromised by patriarchal ideologies throughout history.