The Forgotten | Literary Precedents
All of Wiesel's writings derive, to some extent, from biblical precedents; The Forgotten is no exception. The hardships faced by Elhanan may remind readers of tribulations encountered by Biblical characters such as Jonah and Job. Like Elhanan, Jonah fails in a serious obligation (in the case of Elhanan, it is his decision to refrain from aiding the wife of Zoltan, the Nyilas chief, who is being raped by Elhanan's friend, Itzik the Long). God punishes Elhanan for failing in his duty to intervene by taking away his memory (Alzheimer's Disease). Elhanan is reminiscent of Job in that...
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