This profound statement suggests that a fundamental aspect of human existence is the capacity and often the burden of observing and experiencing events, especially suffering. It implies a moral responsibility to remember and acknowledge what has occurred, rather than turning away.
Quote by Imre Kertész: “To be human is to be a witness.”
To be human is to be a witness.
Insight
Historical Context
Written by a Holocaust survivor, 'Fatelessness' explores the experience of a young boy in Auschwitz. The quote highlights the moral imperative of bearing witness to unimaginable horrors and the profound impact of this role on human identity.
About the Author
Hungarian novelist and Holocaust survivor who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2002. His novel Fatelessness, based on his experiences as a teenage prisoner in Auschwitz and Buchenwald, is considered one of the most important literary responses to the Holocaust. He argued that the Holocaust was not an aberration but a product of modernity.
View all quotes by Imre Kertész