A novel can influence our understanding of history. I strongly agree with this statement. A historical novel is a novel that has as its setting a period of history and attempts to convey personal experiences and historical events to historical fact. The novel Briar Rose (1992) written by Jane Yolen is an example of a historical novel. Briar Rose influences our understanding of the Holocaust and allows a reader to gain an understanding of how a human who went through the Holocaust deals with and shares their experiences. They also gain an understanding of that period in time, how people were treated during that period in time and what went on during that period of time. When reading a novel it is more enjoyable to read than reading a factual report or article. It has been proven that if you find something enjoyable you learn and understand the topic better and in more detail compared to if you don’t enjoy what you’re doing. From my own experiences I can relate to the evidence. Since a novel is more enjoyable than a factual text the novel can influence the readers understanding of history. “Happy-ever-after is a fairy-tale notion, not history. I know of no woman who escaped …show more content…
In Briar Rose, Gemma, one of the main characters repeatedly tells the fairy-tale “Briar Rose” with her own twist to her grandchildren. She does this because she is trying to teach her grandchildren about her past but can only teach them through the fairy-tale as it is all that she can remember. This is how Gemma deals with her past and the pain caused from it. Also in Gemma’s version of the fairy-tale, when the prince kisses her she is the only person who awakes however in the actual fairy-tale everyone awakes. This is a metaphor which represents the pain of the survivors who have to continue life by themselves. When the reader has finished the novel they can understand the meaning behind the