Summary Of The Assault By Harry Mulisch

Memory carries multiple characteristics in The Assault. It is described throughout the story in a very unfavourable way by Anton. The past is never looked upon and there can only be hope that the future will hold a better life. Anton has good reason to supress the past because his early child hood was abysmal. He actively supresses memories throughout the novel and sees ignorance of past events as a safer approach to life. Harry Mulisch uses memory within the story to bring together different events in time, and create symbolism throughout the novel. The past is described as events that are never talked about. The reason for this is so that Anton may distance himself from the horrifying events of the past, and act as if they never happened.

He goes through his daily life passively, not really caring what happens. Memories of the past give Anton a reason to worry, and allow him to feel the powerful emotions he has become so passive of. Yet Anton is a husk of a human being. He does not seem to enjoy life whatsoever, and has no joy in the world. He takes on a passive view of life as a way of coping with these horrid memories. He does have some moments of joy and loss, but nothing compares to the emotions he has of the incident. Mulisch describes the divorce with Saskia in one sentence as “This was 1968, a year after his divorce from Saskia” (152). There is no feelings or emotions described, the only description is that it happened. This passiveness Anton possesses shows the extent that his memories have changed the way he acts. The only feelings and emotions described in the book are of Anton’s memories of the past, and how “He should have buried all that” (60). The emotions Anton does show are all related to his memories of the past. The way Anton views memory in the story is that it would be better if he remembered nothing at

He cannot escape, or forget his past no matter how hard he tries. Memories are a constant in Anton’s life, just as they are a constant throughout The Assault. The memories of the past constantly infiltrate Anton while he is an adult. He develops a hate for these past memories, and attempts to bury them deep within his mind. The memories however, always find a way to torment Anton and remind him of his past. Memories of the incident illicit fear from deep within him, and dictate how he acts. Anton cannot be left alone in silence due to his panic attacks, and lives an empty life. He hates everything associated with the past and memory. This resentment towards his past leads him to develop his passive lifestyle. Memory in the story dictates Anton’s life, and forms him into the person he is at the end of the