"Treblinka, A Rather Musical Word": Carole Maso's Post-Holocaust Narrative

This paper argues that Carole Maso's novel AVA demands to be read not only as an instance of ecriture feminine but also as a piece of post-Holocaust literature. This reading refocuses attention on one of the novel's major themes and helps to rethink the contested category of post-Holocaust fiction itself. AVA demonstrates the profound effect the Holocaust has had on American art since the end of World War II, illustrating the extent to which the terms "postmodern" and "post-Holocaust" have become synonymous. It also contributes to an understanding of contemporary American cultural production as melancholic.