Theme Of Responsibility In Everything Is Illumination

The past and history of each individual uniquely shapes who we are. The past can either be forgotten or preserved. To preserve the past, you must keep the heritage/tradition going by taking some sort of responsibility. In the novel Everything Is Illuminated, the theme of responsibility is evident. Responsibility plays a big role in this novel because each character has set responsibilities throughout the story. Some characters have greater responsibilities than others, essentially each responsibility leads to the gaining of knowledge their own past. In other words, the responsibility displayed by Lista, Jonathan, and Grandfather leads to the acceptance and recognition of themselves. These responsibilities actually encourage and motivate each …show more content…
‘But I was wrong.’ ‘Perhaps you were not wrong. We could not find her, but that does not signify anything about whether you should believe in her.’ ‘What is the good of something that you cannot find.”. Jonathan’s sole responsibility throughout the novel is to preserve his family’s history, and to achieve this he attempted to find the woman who saved his grandfather. After Jonathan comes to the conclusion that he didn’t find Augustine, he begins to accept the fact that he failed. Furthermore, the significance of the conversation between Jonathan and Lista in this quotation reveals that Jonathan has fully accepted himself in not fulfilling the responsibility of finding Augustine. Jonathan also states that the result of not finding Augustine has actually allowed Jonathan to further believe in her. Therefore, Jonathan's failed responsibility of preserving his family’s history by finding Augustine has enabled him to accept …show more content…
Alex’s grandfather is brought on the voyage for no other reason than to be the driver. The grandfather lives with Alex’s family and claims that he is blind. During the beginning of the novel when Alex’s father confronted the grandfather on being the driver for the voyage, the grandfather says “I do not want to do it. I am retarded, and I did not become a retarded person in order to have to perform shit such as this. I am done with it” (Foer,6). The statements made by the grandfather reveal his pessimistic attitude towards himself and his abilities. The grandfather is unwilling to take on the responsibility of being the driver for the voyage, as the novel progresses the grandfather’s responsibility becomes far more significant and he discovers his true character. Self acceptance is evident in this quotation, the grandfather fully accepts the claim that he is retarded. Secondly, the voyage allows the grandfather to discover and relate to his past. As the novel progresses, the grandfather begins opening up about his past responsibilities.The grandfather confesses that he was a bad father and did not properly raise Alex’s father. Grandfather admits he made a mistake, as he says “But I was not a good father, I must inform you. I was the worst father. I desired to remove him from everything that was bad, but instead