We Must Not Think of Ourselves: A Novel

Languages are a motif throughout the book with different layers of symbolism. Language is synonymous with culture in the context of the story, specifically Yiddish to the Ashkenazi Jews. Although Adam himself is not religious, the Nazis’ antisemitism brings every Jew’s religious and cultural identity into focus irrespective of their personal beliefs. Thus, for even a non-religious Jew like Adam who marries a Catholic and conducts his personal life in Polish, and his professional one in English, Yiddish eventually takes on importance. He reflects on how it is the language that reminds him of his childhood, upbringing, and culture. If he dies, the Yiddish dies with him and will be forgotten, signifying the extermination of an entire race and culture at the hands of the Nazis. Thus, languages as a motif underlines the theme of The Importance of Memory and Documentation—it is both a tool for documentation and a way to remember an entire culture.

Because language is synonymous with culture, access to multiple languages also symbolizes access to multiple values and worldviews. Adam teaches languages, and this gives him insight into a host of perspectives in different ways. He is able to access different kinds of literature, and his work in the ghetto—his English classes and his archival work—bring him in contact with a range of different people and stories.