The Address

By Marga Minco

Marga Minco is a Dutch author known for her works that reflect the impact of World War II and the Holocaust, particularly on Jewish families. Her writing is often personal, drawing from her own experience as a Holocaust survivor, and is characterized by its understated yet powerful exploration of loss, memory, and displacement. In the story “The Address” a Jewish girl returns to her former home after surviving the war to reclaim her family’s belongings from a woman who had promised to keep them safe. The story poignantly explores themes of memory, loss, and the painful aftermath of war, as the protagonist confronts not only the physical loss of her possessions but also the emotional weight of her family’s absence.

Q: “Have you come back?” said the woman. “I thought that no one had come back”. Does this statement give some clue about the story? If yes, what is it?

Ans. Yes, this statement gives a significant clue about the story. It indicates that the woman, Mrs. Dorling, did not expect anyone from the narrator’s family to survive the war. This suggests that the narrator’s family, like Jewish, were victims of the Nazi persecution during World War II. Mrs. Dorling’s surprise at seeing the narrator implies that she had assumed the family had perished, leaving her free to keep their belongings without any consequences. The statement reflects the underlying theme of loss, survival, and the harsh reality of life after the war.

The story is divided into pre-war and post-war times. What hardships do you think the girl underwent during these times?

Ans. The girl, the narrator, faced profound hardships during both pre-war and post-war times. During the pre-War period, her family was likely subjected to increasing persecution, fear, and anxiety as the Nazis gained power. This period would have been marked by the loss of security, freedom, and eventually, the forced separation from their home and belongings as they were taken away or went into hiding.

In the post-war period, the narrator faces the emotional and psychological challenges of returning to a world that has been irreversibly changed. She finds herself in a situation where she must confront the remnants of her past, symbolized by the visit to Mrs. Dorling’s house. The physical return to the address and the sight of her family’s possessions being used by someone else only intensify her sense of loss and dislocation. The war has stripped her not only of her family and home but also of her identity and sense of belonging.

Q: Why did the narrator of the story want to forget the address?

Ans. The narrator wanted to forget the address because it symbolized the painful memories of her lost past, the trauma of the war, and the betrayal by Mrs. Dorling. Visiting the address and seeing her family’s belongings in a different, unfamiliar setting was a distressing experience. The objects that once held emotional significance were now mere remnants of life that no longer existed. By trying to forget the address, the narrator was attempting to let go of the past and move on from the sorrow, loss, and disillusionment that the war had inflicted upon her.

Q: “The Address” is a story of a human predicament that follows war. Comment.

Ans. “The Address” is indeed a poignant reflection on the human predicament that follows war. The story delves into the themes of loss, displacement, and the struggle to reclaim one’s identity after the devastation of war. The narrator’s visit to Mrs. Dorling’s house highlights the emotional and psychological toll of war, not just on those who directly experience it but also on those who survive it.

The war has left the narrator in a state of limbo, where the familiar world of her past is gone, and the remnants of that world no longer hold the same meaning. The possessions that once brought comfort and a sense of belonging now serve as painful reminders of everything she has lost. The story underscores the difficulty of moving forward when the past is filled with trauma and betrayal, and how the memories of what was once familiar can become burdensome.

Through the narrator’s experience, Marga Minco illustrates the broader human condition after a war people are forced to navigate a world that has been fundamentally altered, where the ties to the past are frayed, and the future is uncertain. The story is a testament to the resilience required to rebuild one’s life and identity after such profound upheaval.