BOOK
Dry Tears: The Story of a Lost Childhood
Tec, Nechama. Dry Tears: The Story of a Lost Childhood. New York: Oxford University Press, 1984. 242 pages. ISBN: 0195035003.
REVIEW
Dry Tears is a memoir that some readers may find “different”; not in any way inferior, but dissimilar to other survivor accounts of the terrors of the ghetto, the camps, and the death marches. While Nechama Tec’s book is no doubt a story of survival, the circumstances of her survival unveil a world perhaps oft forgotten among the many tales of beating the odds – here is a narrative of the events of hiding, of attempting to pass oneself off as a Christian rather than a Jew, of the assistance of not-so-righteous Gentiles, and of the backstory of occupation. In a world where the general public comes to the Holocaust through Hollywood, museums, and documentaries, their focus tends to be on the violent treatment meted out toward the Jews – the hopelessness of deportation, starvation, and annihilation. Dry Tears covers events in the life of the author from approximately the age of 8 to the age of 14. Included within this amazing story are her immediate family (father, mother, and older sister) as well as numerous others who crossed their paths – as protectors, comrades, and adversaries. At times full of tension, at others brimming with details so rich that the reader can almost “see” these circumstances in occupied Poland, Dry Tears is a necessary addition to the literature of the Shoah.
As I read, I was somewhat taken aback – from the perspective of “What if I were a teacher who had just assigned this book to my students?” – at the honesty and frankness of Tec’s descriptions of the many events to which she was party or witness. Young readers of this book should be forewarned that there are graphic descriptions of domestic abuse (both spousal abuse as well as child abuse), discussions of sexual situations, and also of violence as perpetrated by the Germans. It is my recommendation that prior to this book’s use as a text or supplemental reading in a secondary classroom, a parental permission slip is sent home with the prospective reader. While today’s students will see far more sex and violence in the movies they attend or on the television programs they watch, I feel it is the responsibility of the educator to inform parents of any “red flags” within the curriculum. On the other hand, it’s been said many times that certain Holocaust films (i.e. Schindler’s List) are rated R because the Shoah was R-rated…
Students might find it helpful to keep some paper handy while reading. I found there to be a very large cast of people discussed – at times I it was difficult to keep everyone straight in my mind. Had I written their names and perhaps an identifying note about each person and kept that next to the book, I might not have felt so befuddled at times. I would also suggest that a general pronunciation key for letter combinations found in Polish names (of people, cities) would come in handy (a map of wartime Poland would augment understanding as well). Students seem to have a habit of skipping over words they deem too long or too difficult to process; such a key might allay some of their trepidations. I would also suggest that students be made aware that this book is perhaps unlike any other memoir of the Shoah they might have encountered; action is somewhat limited, events and scenery are explained in great detail, and the ending is certainly melancholy as opposed to outright happy. My experience with young readers is that they expect their literature to do most of the work for them – to be fast-paced, exciting, and attention holding. My worry is that some students might perceive reading Dry Tears as “work”, and that would seem a shame.
PASSAGE/QUOTE FOR CLASSROOM USAGE
And eventually I grew accustomed to anti-Semitic remarks. A slow transformation was taking place in me. It was as if in certain circumstances I lost track of who I really was and began to see myself as a Pole. I became a double person, one private and one public. When I was away from my family I became so engrossed in my public self that I did not have to act the part; I actually felt like the person that I was supposed to be (page 144).
Students live in a world where prejudiced statements run rampant through their school hallways, their entertainment, and indeed even their minds. Terms like “gay”, “retarded”, and “fag” roll off their tongues before a thought is given to the impact of the statement. What often goes unaccounted is the pain caused by these comments – what is “everyday language” to some is a cutting tool felt by others. The quote above is a way to acclimate student readers to the story they will encounter – a tale of a young girl, with all of the hopes and dreams they’ve considered, who had those things ripped out from under her by situations she did not choose and of which she wanted no part. A short journaling assignment, in consideration of the passage above, followed by student-centered discussion might serve as an able introductory lesson.
RATIONALE FOR USAGE
Dry Tears is a text supplemental to high school history or literature courses. Topics covered in this book include hiding, passing (transience), rescue, exploitation, extortion, children, survival, violence, war, occupation, black markets, and post-war antisemitism.
In addition, Dry Tears addresses the following Guidelines for Teaching About the Holocaust, as set forth by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum:
1. Define the term “Holocaust.” There is no definition of the term in this text.
2. Avoid comparisons of pain. Tec makes no mention of other victim groups, nor does she reflect on genocides that have occurred in the subsequent years of her life.
3. Avoid simple answers to complex history. This book is anything but simplistic. The author furnishes the reader with great detail on not only events, but on the strains of human decision during the course of the family’s odyssey.
4. Just because it happened does not mean it was inevitable. Dry Tears is a suspenseful read, with many turns in the story. There is no way the people living these events could have anticipated what would happen next – the events of the Shoah were just too random, too unpredictable.
5. Strive for precision of language. I have no qualms with Tec’s style or usage of terms as they apply to the events of the Shoah.
6. Make careful distinctions about sources of information. The reader of Dry Tears should understand that it is an account of one person’s/one family’s experience in the Shoah, and should be read as such.
7. Try to avoid stereotypical descriptions. Tec does a wonderful job of discussing stereotypes as they applied toward Jews from Gentiles, and also as they applied between and among Jews. Germans and Poles are also discussed both as stereotypes and as individuals.
8. Do not romanticize history to engage students’ interest. This text is straightforward, with little embellishment.
9. Contextualize the history you are teaching. There is a firm groundwork laid in the first two chapters that puts the events of Dry Tears in their proper historical perspective.
10. Translate statistics into people. I find this book excellent for this guideline, as numbers like “six million” aren’t part of the story. While this tale certainly exists within the context of the six million Jews who perished, what we have is a narrative of the trials of several individuals. This truly puts a face on their experience.
11. Be sensitive to appropriate written and audiovisual content. See above for some concerns I have regarding events detailed; I would not recommend this book for readers younger than high school.
12. Strive for balance in establishing whose perspective informs your study of the Holocaust. Again, this is a survivor account that serves to build a historical perspective; it is a subjective account of one person’s Holocaust experience.
13. Select appropriate learning activities. As always, care should be taken with young learners as to what the teacher’s goals or objectives might be. Don’t choose activities that are unrealistic, don’t shock, and don’t use audio or video materials without a proper backdrop. Always ask, “What’s my rationale for doing ‘X’?”
14. Reinforce the objectives of your lesson plan. This book can be used in discussions of survival, morality, benevolence, prejudice, etc.