Literary Imagery In The Assault By Anton Mulisch

Mulisch incorporates interesting literary techniques within The Assault, to set the tone and time period. The use of episodes versus chapters gives the book a cinematic feel. The assault is unique because, when you’re reading it, it’s as if you are there, in the moment, experiencing the things the characters experienced. Mulisch uses picturesque imagery, which helps the reader visualize the ideas Mulisch is trying to get across, and convey the difficulties that the characters faced. Mulisch’s use of captivating vocabulary makes it easy for the reader to grasp every emotion, every tragedy, and every explosion caused by the war. The Assault focuses on the psychological effect of, the trauma experienced by Anton Steenwijk, throughout …show more content…
Unfortunately for Anton, it wasn’t as simple as ignoring a problem in hopes of it no longer being a problem, because people were constantly reminding him of the night in which his parents were killed. This is an example of the continuing theme of denial within “The Assault” . He has blocked certain details out for so long, that he begins to lose his sense of reality. Another continuing theme within “The Assault” is guilt. Anton was going through a rough time for most of his life, suffering from anxiety attacks, and constant paranoia. Most of the main characters, were aware of how grief stricken Anton was, but they had this underlying sense of irresponsibility as if they didn’t step in and console Anton wholeheartedly. People were constantly walking on eggshells with Anton, while looking for reassurance. No one could tell what would be safe to say to Anton, since his mind and memory were so corrupted by previous events. It is not difficult to sympathize with Anton, he has truly experienced a lot of trauma within his …show more content…
The entire novel revolves around trauma as a main theme, which is supported by smaller themes and shifts in tone. Anton makes his first appearance in the book in the first couple of chapters, he is young, irresponsible, and uninvolved with politics. With time, Anton gains a heightened sense awareness to all of the political issues he brushed off before. Once he starts to take a closer look at what is going on; politically, he starts to piece things together ; becoming more involved. Once Anton opens his mind, the universe is practically throwing signs out at him regarding the death of his parents. In conclusion, this correlates with the open minded ib learner profile. People who allow themselves to experience everything in its true essence without any denial, tend to be the keepers of a broad spectrum of information; both beneficial and harmful. Being open minded comes with risks, but it also comes with an equal amount of understanding. Anton allows himself to be open minded to some extent which helps him get the truth about what happened on the day of his parents