This short paper intends to answer the questions how the identities of the two sisters in Marina Lewycka’s novel "A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian" (2005) are shaped. As the novel contains various flashbacks through past telling, which again influences the different characters of Vera and Nadia, this paper also tries to explain to which extent a personal past memory plays a role within this process of forming their self-concept.
This is made by the theoretical constructs and definitions of identity and memory and the thought of how these two constructs are linked, meaning identity being created through memory. Through analyzing selected passages from the book, the theory is applied on the characters of both Nadia and Vera to find out more about their different identities and search for possible reasons in their past. The concept of collective and individual memory (Assmann) will play an important role to give possible reasons for their different perceptions of the past, which thus lead to many conflicts throughout the novel.
Lewycka uses memory, especially Nadia’s and Vera’s different perceptions of the past, to determine the sisters’ identities, which also serves as legitimization of their immigration to Great Britain. Selected close readings will show how both sisters developed two different self-concepts out of their memory and how this identification influences their attitude towards migration into a country.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The Past in the Present
2.1. From Memory to Identity
2.2. War Baby and Peacetime Baby
2.3. The Legitimization of Migration
3. Conclusion
4. Bibliography
Objectives & Key Themes
This paper examines how personal and collective memory constructs the identities of the two sisters, Nadia and Vera, in Marina Lewycka's novel "A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian". It further explores how these disparate identities and perceptions of the past are utilized to legitimize the sisters' own migration history while positioning the character of Valentina as a contrastive, non-legitimized migrant.
- The theoretical link between individual memory, collective memory, and identity formation.
- Character development and conflict resolution between the two protagonists, Nadia and Vera.
- The impact of war-related trauma on memory and narrative perspectives.
- The legitimization of migration status based on past experience versus economic motive.
- Analysis of the "War Baby" versus "Peacetime Baby" dynamic.
Excerpt from the Book
2.2. War Baby and Peacetime Baby
“I am forty-seven years old and a university lecturer, but my sister’s voice reduces me instantly to a bogey-nosed four-year old.” (Lewycka 9) We, as the readers of Marina Lewycka’s novel A Short History of Tractors in Ukranian perceive everything through the eyes of the protagonist Nadezhda, as she is the homodiegetic narrator in the novel, therefore we focalize through her eyes out of a first-person narration. The reader immediately sympathizes with Nadia’s character while at the same time only learning about her thoughts on a matter. Thus all descriptions of situations and also the statements of other characters, i.e. her sister and counterpart Vera, is reflected and filtered through Nadia’s perception and therefore to be seen critical. At the same time she displays her inner conflict referring to at least two identities she inhabits: her grown-up personality on the one hand and her daughter personality (2) by which she is constantly downgraded by her older sister Vera, at least this is how we perceive the situation. “You see the trouble with your generation, Nadezhda, is that you’ve just skated over the surface of life. Peace. Love. Worker’s Control. It’s all idealistic nonsense. You can afford the luxury of irresponsibility, because you’ve never seen the dark underside of life.” (10) says Vera to her sister. The fact, that she calls her sister by her full name has an almost parental appearance in a moralizing way. Vera blames her sister for being younger. Nadia at the same time allows this degradation and almost gives the impression as if she blames herself for being younger and therefore not having to witness the war. “I grew up with no knowledge of the darkness that lurks at the bottom of the human soul.” (273) Nadia is missing an essential part of the past, that has shaped her whole family, but herself.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the novel and establishes the research goal of analyzing how memory forms identity and serves as a means to legitimize migration.
2. The Past in the Present: This section covers the theoretical framework of identity and memory, examines the sibling dynamic between Nadia and Vera, and discusses the socio-political aspects of migrating to Great Britain.
2.1. From Memory to Identity: This chapter defines the theoretical constructs of individual and collective memory, explaining their role in building a consistent self-concept over time.
2.2. War Baby and Peacetime Baby: This chapter analyzes the specific character conflict between the two sisters, centered on their different levels of exposure to wartime experiences.
2.3. The Legitimization of Migration: This chapter investigates how the sisters construct a narrative of legitimized migration for themselves in contrast to the perceived economic motivations of the character Valentina.
3. Conclusion: This chapter synthesizes the findings, confirming the role of memory in the protagonists' identities and suggesting further potential research areas like postwar trauma.
4. Bibliography: This section lists the primary and secondary sources used in the paper.
Keywords
Memory, Identity, Migration, A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian, Collective Memory, Individual Memory, Marina Lewycka, Postwar Trauma, Self-Concept, Narrative, Character Development, Legitimization, Alterity, Communicative Memory, Cultural Identity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this paper?
The paper explores how memory and the perception of the past construct the identities of the characters in Marina Lewycka's novel "A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian".
What are the primary thematic fields covered?
The study centers on the intersection of identity formation, memory theories, the sociological aspects of migration, and character-driven conflicts.
What is the central research question?
It investigates how a personal past memory shapes a self-concept and to what extent this process is used to legitimize the immigration experiences of the characters.
Which scientific method is applied?
The work employs a close reading and literary analysis method, applying theoretical frameworks of memory (such as those by Assmann) to specific passages of the novel.
What topics are discussed in the main body?
The main body covers the theoretical definition of identity, the psychological differences between the sisters (War Baby vs. Peacetime Baby), and the narrative legitimization of their status as migrants compared to other characters.
What are the key terms defining this work?
The core keywords include memory, identity, migration, collective memory, alterity, and the specific literary narrative of the novel itself.
How does the author define the difference between the two sisters?
The author distinguishes them primarily through the ten-year age gap, which meant that Vera lived through the war while Nadia was born afterward, leading to different memory-based identities.
Why is Valentina perceived as a "parasite" compared to the sisters?
The sisters view their own migration as a survival-based necessity from a past era, whereas they perceive Valentina’s immigration as being driven by economic gain and "marriage of convenience" without a shared past to justify it.
- Citar trabajo
- Shanna Große (Autor), 2016, Identity and Memory in Marina Lewycka’s Novel "A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian", Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/538503
