Harry Mulisch’s 1982 novel The Assault fixates on the character of Anton Steenwijk, who, at twelve years old, was the sole member of his family to survive an attack by Nazi occupation forces during World War II. The novel follows the 35 years of Anton’s life following this tragedy, using symbolism and motifs throughout to instil ideas and themes about war into the reader’s mind. One in particular, the recurring symbol of light and dark, is manipulated by Mulisch to explore different aspects of Anton’s
evil, and no act is free of moral ambiguity. The notion of light and dark corresponding with good and evil, when examined closely, is false. In the novel The Assault by Harry Mulisch, the author uses allusion, imagery, and contrast to show that light is not completely free of malice, and darkness is not always something to be hated. In The Assault, the concept of light and dark are explicitly talked about between characters. When Anton is talking to Truus in the jail cell, she begins to talk to him
History has always had an impact on the outcome of future events; past events—defined and redefined by the traumatized mind—stand as an experience in their own right. In The Assault, Anton experiences the resurrection of traumatic memories from his past until the point he can completely cope them. The tumultuousness of this process allows Anton to confront his memories in stages—consequentially altering his approach to memory. Although Anton is resistant to his childhood memories, he accepts them