Analysis Of George Tabori's Autodafé: Erinnerungen

George Tabori’s Autodafé: Erinnerungen is a unique look into the world of autobiographies. Up to this point, we have read a wide variety of autobiographical themes and methods of narration. Each has its own characteristics and portrays the author’s life in a different form. Tabori’s book is no different. Not only does it provide a new style or method of narration but also discusses a wide variety of different themes. To understand this book as a whole, one must examine the aspects that make it different, the main points, characters, stories and what large, over-arching themes are relevant throughout the text. In order to understand this book, I will examine each of these three aspects and attempt to answer what makes Tabori’s text different. …show more content…
In the first chapter titled “Damenwahl,” Tabori discusses three major women in his life. The three women are his mother, his grandmother and his nanny. The stories around these people, and whether they are positive or negative, vary from character to character. For example, Tabori discusses his mother in combination with his birth. He speaks of his nanny in terms of a possible assault that happened to him as a child. A major theme throughout Autodafé: Erinnerungen is the idea of contrasting and conflicting actions, words and thoughts. We initially see this in the first chapter. Tabori examines his own birth in terms of Astrology (a common occurrence in this course) and acknowledges his own astrological sign. He states that he is a “Gemini” and that associates his character with friendliness. Contrasting this characterization, Tabori says he also had a dark side. This theme is very prevalent throughout the book. Tabori, in general, discusses the contrast between life and death, love and hate, and truth and