Essay Questions

How do the kin of the disappeared persons deal with their trauma?

Yehoshua writes, "After all, he wasn't the only one who disappeared. To this day there is before us list of so many missing, so many mysteries. And next of kin are still gathering last remnants- scraps of clothing, bits of charred documents, twisted pens, bullet ridden wallets, melted wedding rings. Chasing after elusive eyewitnesses, after the shadow of a man who heard a rumour, trying in the mist to piece together a picture of their loved one." The first strategy of collecting the items associated with the disappeared persons is manifest Regression. Perceiving the scraps revives the memories of the disappeared entities. Moreover, the scraps are Objet petit a for the persons whereby the kin feel closer to their loved ones through the scraps which were associated with them. The second strategy which entails trailing eyewitnesses is equivalent to Denial. The kin who employ it hope that the witness could offer them hints about their lost family members. The denial is hurtful for it offers deceptive illusions about the possibility of trading individuals who are most probably deceased.

How has war triggered numbness among the survivors?

Yehoshua expounds, "Again and again since the cease-fire there has been that announcement about Boaz, who disappeared. Something like this: Mom and Dad are looking for Boaz. But we have hardened, reading announcements such as these in the papers, pausing for a moment and continuing with a weary glance to flick through the pages. This last war has made us numb." The numbness refers to emotional indifference which has emerged as a result of reading many announcements concerning disappeared persons. Readers' pity is no longer evoked as a result of reading such announcements for they are ordinary announcements in the papers. Painful memories associated with the war have demolished survivor's empathy. Readers suppress their pity, for it is overwhelming to empathize with all the families that are still searching for missing kin.