We Are the Weather

The Holocaust appears early and often as an important symbol throughout We Are the Weather. For Foer, it is a personal symbol, but it is also an accessible and poignant symbol for most readers, both of which contribute to its impact as a literary device. The Holocaust and the genocide of six million European Jews during WWII is one of the most horrifying and arguably well-known historical events of the past century. Therefore, it is recognizable to most readers, who immediately identify not just the event, but a host of emotions generally associated with it, like horror, pain, and shame. By utilizing the Holocaust as such a prominent symbol, Foer implies that climate change has the potential to be our generation’s Holocaust, both literally, in its deadly impact, and figuratively, in that it could illicit the same heavy emotions.

Foer returns to his grandmother’s escape from the Holocaust repeatedly to demonstrate the sacrifice she made, equating the sacrifices and horrifying results of the Holocaust to those demanded and threatened by global climate change. While the problem of climate change is complex and sometimes confusing, so was the Holocaust at the time, as evidenced by the story of Karski. Foer makes efforts to respect the gravity of the Holocaust.