Historical Revisionism in Literature & Literary Theory

Historical Revisionism: Etymology/Term, Meanings and Concept

Etymology/Term:

The term “historical revisionism” refers to the reinterpretation or reevaluation of historical events, often with the aim of altering or challenging the accepted narrative. While revisionism itself is a neutral term, it can take on different connotations depending on the motivations behind the reevaluation. Historical revisionism can encompass a range of activities, from scholarly reassessment and new discoveries to intentional distortions for political, ideological, or nationalistic purposes. It underscores the dynamic nature of historical understanding and the constant reexamination of the past in light of evolving perspectives and information.

Meanings and Concept:

• Reevaluation of Events:
  • This revisionism involves the critical reevaluation and reinterpretation of events from the past, considering new evidence, perspectives, or methodologies.
• Neutral Scholarly Endeavor:
  • In a neutral context, this revisionism can represent a legitimate scholarly pursuit aimed at refining historical narratives based on rigorous research and analysis.
• Intentional Distortion:
  • However, this revisionism can also take on a negative connotation when it involves intentional distortions, omissions, or manipulations of historical facts to serve specific agendas.
• Challenge to Established Narratives:
  • It often challenges established historical narratives, encouraging a questioning of widely accepted accounts and fostering a more nuanced understanding of the past.
• Political or Ideological Motivations:
  • This revisionism may be driven by political, ideological, or nationalistic motivations, seeking to reshape historical narratives to align with particular worldviews or agendas.
• Controversial and Debated:
  • The concept is often controversial, with debates arising over the legitimacy, intent, and consequences of different revisionist approaches to history.
• Evolution of Historical Interpretation:
  • This revisionism reflects the ongoing evolution of historical interpretation, acknowledging that our understanding of the past is subject to change based on new perspectives and discoveries.
• Impact on Collective Memory:
  • The revisionist process can impact collective memory, influencing how societies perceive and remember historical events.
• Historical Revisionism vs. Denialism:
  • It’s crucial to distinguish between legitimate revisionism and denialism, where the latter involves the outright rejection or denial of established historical facts without credible evidence.
• Complexity of Historical Truth:
  • The concept underscores the complexity of historical truth, recognizing that the interpretation of events is not fixed and may evolve over time.

Historical Revisionism: Definition of a Theoretical Term

Historical revisionism is a theoretical term that denotes the reinterpretation or reassessment of historical events with the goal of altering or challenging established narratives. While it can encompass legitimate scholarly efforts to refine historical understanding based on new evidence, historical revisionism can also carry negative connotations when driven by intentional distortions, omissions, or political motivations. The concept acknowledges the dynamic nature of historical interpretation, emphasizing the constant reexamination of the past in light of evolving perspectives, discoveries, and the potential influence of ideological or nationalistic agendas.

Historical Revisionism: Theorists, Works and Arguments

1. Walter Benjamin:
   • Work: Theses on the Philosophy of History.
   • Argument: Benjamin’s reflections challenge conventional historical narratives, emphasizing the need for a critical and dialectical approach to history that questions established interpretations.
2. Michel Foucault:
   • Work: The Archaeology of Knowledge.
   • Argument: Foucault’s theoretical framework explores how power structures shape historical discourse, highlighting the influence of political and institutional factors on the revisionist process.
3. Howard Zinn:
   • Work: A People’s History of the United States.
   • Argument: Zinn’s work is a revisionist approach that challenges mainstream historical narratives, providing an alternative perspective that focuses on marginalized voices and social movements.
4. Fritjof Nansen:
   • Work: Armenia and the Near East.
   • Argument: Nansen’s documentation challenges the conventional narrative surrounding the Armenian Genocide, offering an alternative perspective and contributing to the revisionist discourse on this historical event.
5. David Irving:
   • Work: Hitler’s War.
   • Argument: Irving’s controversial writings on World War II and Adolf Hitler have been criticized for promoting revisionist theories that downplay Nazi atrocities, sparking debates on the ethical boundaries of historical revisionism.
6. Deborah Lipstadt:
   • Work: Denying the Holocaust: The Growing Assault on Truth and Memory.
   • Argument: Lipstadt critically engages with Holocaust denial as a form of historical revisionism, examining the motivations, methods, and dangers of distorting historical truths.
7. Ernst Nolte:
   • Work: The Three Faces of Fascism.
   • Argument: Nolte’s historical interpretations, particularly regarding the concept of a “historical revisionism of the left,” have sparked debates about the boundaries and implications of revising historical narratives.

Historical Revisionism: Major Characteristics

• Reinterpretation of Events:
  • Literary Reference: In George Orwell’s 1984, the government constantly revises historical records to control the narrative and manipulate the perception of past events.
• Alternative Perspectives:
  • Literary Reference: Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States offers an alternative perspective, challenging mainstream narratives and providing marginalized voices in American history.
• Political or Ideological Motivations:
  • Literary Reference: David Irving’s Hitler’s War has been criticized for its ideological motivations, sparking debates about the ethical boundaries of historical revisionism.
• Selective Omission or Distortion:
  • Literary Reference: In Deborah Lipstadt’s Denying the Holocaust, the author critically engages with the selective omission and distortion of historical facts in Holocaust denial.
• Challenges to Established Narratives:
  • Literary Reference: Walter Benjamin’s Theses on the Philosophy of History challenges established historical narratives, emphasizing the need for a critical and dialectical approach to history.
• Impact on Collective Memory:
  • Literary Reference: Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude explores the impact of memory distortion on collective understanding, reflecting the consequences of historical revisionism.
• Reevaluation of Motivations:
  • Literary Reference: Fritjof Nansen’s Armenia and the Near East reevaluates historical motivations surrounding the Armenian Genocide, contributing to the discourse on this tragic event.
• Deconstruction of Historical Truth:
  • Literary Reference: Michel Foucault’s The Archaeology of Knowledge deconstructs historical truth, revealing the influence of power structures on the shaping of historical narratives.
• Ethical Considerations:
  • Literary Reference: Deborah Lipstadt’s Denying the Holocaust explores the ethical considerations surrounding Holocaust denial, highlighting the dangers of manipulating historical truths.
• Constant Evolution of Interpretation:
  • Literary Reference: Ernst Nolte’s The Three Faces of Fascism reflects the constant evolution of historical interpretation, acknowledging that perspectives on historical events may change over time.

Historical Revisionism: Relevance in Literary Theories

Literary Theory	Relevance to Historical Revisionism
Postmodernism	Challenges fixed historical narratives, aligning with the fluid and subjective nature of historical revisionism.
Deconstruction	Examines how language constructs historical narratives, contributing to a critical understanding of their revisionist aspects.
Postcolonial Theory	Interrogates how historical revisionism may perpetuate colonial biases and distort the narratives of colonized peoples.
Feminist Literary Theory	Highlights the impact of historical revisionism on gender narratives, revealing how women’s experiences are often marginalized or omitted.
New Historicism	Considers the interplay between literature and historical context, recognizing the influence of historical revisionism on cultural norms.
Critical Race Theory	Examines how revisionism may reinforce racial hierarchies and silence the experiences of marginalized racial groups.
Cultural Studies	Analyzes how revisionism shapes cultural identity, emphasizing its role in constructing and reconstructing societal perceptions.
Narrative Theory	Explores the storytelling aspects of revisionism, investigating how narratives are constructed, altered, or challenged.
Queer Theory	Considers the impact of revisionism on queer narratives, addressing how revisionist histories may influence perceptions of sexuality.
Marxist Literary Theory	Examines the socio-political motivations behind revisionism, exploring how class dynamics may shape the reevaluation of historical events.

Historical Revisionism: Application in Critiques

1. 1984 by George Orwell:
   • Critique: Orwell’s 1984 explores the manipulation of historical records by the government, illustrating how revisionism is employed as a tool for political control and the shaping of societal perceptions.
2. A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn:
   • Critique: Zinn’s work serves as a form of revisionism, challenging mainstream narratives by providing an alternative perspective that emphasizes the experiences of marginalized voices and social movements.
3. The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy:
   • Critique: Roy’s novel critiques revisionism within a postcolonial context, revealing how cultural and social hierarchies contribute to the distortion of historical narratives and the erasure of certain voices.
4. Denying the Holocaust: The Growing Assault on Truth and Memory by Deborah Lipstadt:
   • Critique: Lipstadt’s work critically engages with Holocaust denial as a form of revisionism, examining the motivations, methods, and dangers of selectively omitting or distorting historical facts.

In each of these literary works, revisionism is a central theme, whether in the context of dystopian fiction, alternative historical narratives, postcolonial critiques, or examinations of denialism. These critiques illuminate the complexities and ethical considerations associated with the reevaluation and reinterpretation of historical events within literature.

Historical Revisionism: Relevant Terms

Similar Terms	Definition
1. Reinterpretation	Critical reassessment and reevaluation of historical events.
2. Selective Retelling	Choosing specific aspects to emphasize or de-emphasize in a narrative.
3. Historiographical Shift	Changes in the prevailing interpretations and approaches to history.
4. Narrative Reconstruction	Rebuilding or altering the storytelling structure of historical events.
5. Memory Revision	Adjusting collective or individual memory of past events.
6. Alternative Historiography	Offering alternative perspectives and interpretations of history.
7. Ideological Rewriting	Altering historical narratives to align with particular ideologies.
8. Historical Redefinition	Redefining the significance or meaning of specific historical events.
9. Contextual Reevaluation	Reassessing historical events within the context of changing perspectives.
10. Revisionist Discourse	Engaging in discussions and debates centered around reinterpreting history.

Historical Revisionism: Suggested Readings

1. Benjamin, Walter. Theses on the Philosophy of History. 1940.
2. Foucault, Michel. The Archaeology of Knowledge. Vintage, 1972.
3. Irving, David. Hitler’s War. Focal Point, 1977.
4. Lipstadt, Deborah. Denying the Holocaust: The Growing Assault on Truth and Memory. Plume, 1993.
5. Nansen, Fritjof. Armenia and the Near East. Nabu Press, 2010 (Originally published in 1923).
6. Nolte, Ernst. The Three Faces of Fascism. Mentor, 1966 (Originally published in 1963).
7. Orwell, George. 1984. Signet Classic, 1949.
8. Zinn, Howard. A People’s History of the United States. Harper Perennial, 2005 (Originally published in 1980).