ABSTRACT
The representation of extreme suffering is commonplace in Western art; in the visual arts, for example, the crucifixion of Christ must be one of the most frequently painted and carved subjects. The idea of bearing witness or giving testimony is a way both of characterizing what Holocaust literature is about and of giving it legitimacy. The idea of cosmeticizing suffering in order to produce art is rejected, as is the idea of catharsis as what is to be sought from such art. Those who have written literary works out of their own experience of the Nazi holocaust have not avoided representation of the effects on the bowel and the bladder. The idea of redemption, of repairing damage done, is also used in discussion and justification of Holocaust art, sometimes as the idea that such art may contribute to ensuring that 'it never happens again'.
