Briar Rose

One of the ways an individual deal
with horror is change the story into
where it is less violent; some though
deal with horror by facing reality.
Supplementation: hide fear/horror
by pushing its conscience. Both
Gemma and Potocki deals with the
same horror, but they have different
way of deal with the Holocaust, as
Gemma uses the fairy tale of Briar
Rose and Potocki deals with the
reality
Gemma
Josef Potocki
- Gemma’s Allegory: Briar
Rose, “Barbs” (Symbolism) –
the use of barbs in the fairy
tale and the reality of
holocaust and how they
correspond with each other.
- “My dreams at night are not
pleasant one’s” Potocki
states that he has
nightmares about the
Holocaust, showing the
reader that he deals with the
horror the difficult way
2. The power of love Love can make individuals to act out
of their comfort zone. Becca’s
Journey is governed by the love she
has for Gemma.
For Potocki love was destructive; as
love was stripped away from him
and he was left alone- the death of
both Adam and his Viennese lover
Gemma
Becca
- The contrast between Sylvia
and Shana with Becca; they
are more materialistic while
Becca is determined and
caring
- “Death claims so many of
the people you love” –
Shows how Potocki’s love
was destructive
3. Identity Identity is the process of knowing
who you are, In Briar Rose is was
uncertain for Gemma, the parallel of
Becca’s Journey and Gemma’s
Allegory helps the reader unravel the
truth
Chelmno’s Identity is hidden by its
past- The people of Chelmno deals
with the guilt and denies the horror
of the holocaust that occurred there.
Gemma
Chelmno
- The chapter correspondingBecca’s Journey: “Sleeping
Beauty. How could Gemma
think of that?”
- “It was as if the air became
the same colour as the
buildings” – Showing that
Chelmno’s identity was
covered by the horror of the
Holocaust