«L’ombra dei vecchi tempi malvagi». “Die Enkelin” di Bernhard Schlink tra falsi ricordi e post-memoria

Abstract

This analysis explores Bernhard Schlink’s novel Die Enkelin (The Granddaughter), examining how the haunting "shadow of the evil old days" persists into the twenty-first century. The study focuses on the critical failures of Vergangenheitsbewältigung—the process of coming to terms with the past—as the historical trauma of twentieth-century Germany resurfaces within a contemporary landscape. By framing the narrative through the lenses of false memories and Marianne Hirsch’s concept of post-memory, this paper investigates a complex generational conflict that directly affects the third generation. It analyzes how the grandchild, inheriting unresolved ideologies and fractured family histories, stands at a crossroad between ideological radicalization and historical confrontation, ultimately questioning whether collective guilt and trauma can ever be fully processed or if they are destined to be distorted across generations