There is a kind of loneliness in Nicole Krauss’ The History of Love that can be difficult to describe. It can be felt throughout the whole story, from the tragic beginning to the bitter-sweet ending, but it is most present in one particular character: Leopold Gursky. Leopold is written as a paragon of loneliness, depressed contemplation, and self-hatred. There is little to be complimented with him as he truly is a pathetic old man waiting to die. Of course, that is exactly what Krauss wanted in order to tell her story. Leopold needed to be the embodiment of these things so that when the sun shined for him, it was brighter than he could ever have imagined.
Throughout the story, Leopold is constantly by himself even when he is in the presence of others. He has a need to be witnessed, to be seen, to be known, yet despite that, any attempt he makes is through foolishness. There are plenty of examples of this, but the biggest one is when he chose to be a nude model for everyone to sketch. He stands there for hours on end, regretting his decision as he fights off tears from leaking out. This self-inflicted punishment is done out of his own self-image of how he sees himself as a failure. He believes himself to be a failure as a friend, as a father, and as a writer. And so, he punishes himself through his loneliness and his humiliation which creates a wall that exiles him from the world. He becomes a witness with only the memory of his past to keep him company.
Bruno is introduced from the very beginning of the story as Leo’s childhood friend that survived the Nazi’s terrorization in Europe. It is initially believed that Bruno is always there with Leo after discovering each other at the grocery store. Of course, this is what Leo wants to believe as in a shocking twist its revealed that Bruno had died long ago. Leo wants to believe that his childhood friend is still breathing and well, so he fabricates things that he’d think of what Bruno would be like if he hadn’t died. He chooses to think of Bruno as someone who worries for him, who has faced loss like him, and yet encourages Leo to do more. Bruno is the only thing Leo tries to remember positively even if their last interaction was poor. The other things Leo chooses to recall are memories that only bring him more misery. He is frequently reminded of what was and how things turned out for him. For Leo, memory is a curse as he has nothing good to remember as he believes himself a failure. So, to continue that failure, he acts like a fool as his own punishment for the history he’s lived.
Throughout the story, Leo commits several humiliating acts that embarrass him. Another point of view would see him as a forgetful old man meant to be laughed at. Or at least, that’s what Leo wants them to think as he behaves this way intentionally. He wants to be remembered with his failures of being human despite his secret desires to want to be remembered for so much more. Yet, he missed opportunity after opportunity with the one opportunity he does choose humiliating him the most. He finds himself standing nude being sketched by artists, which embarrasses him completely. It is only at the end of the story itself that Leo finally receives justice for the wrong doings done to him. This is when he meets Alma.
“By observing and honoring the boundaries we draw through the stances we take, it is possible to use rhetorics of difference to empower rather than disempower marginalized communities,” is a quote that best fits the ending of the story as Leo is not just the embodiment of the things mentioned before, but of the Jewish culture as whole. He is exiled from his home, many are left with the memory of him, and he faces he is humiliated every day. Alma of course changes that. Alma was the one person who he met that was not pushed or taken away from him, Alma showed him that he was not a total failure in his history, and that she brought justice to his life through showing that. In the end of the story, this is where Leo completes his arc from being broken to being whole. Yes, he is still a man who has gone through so much, but now he is someone who has a life that has meant something to others.
Cited Work:
Krauss, Nicole, The History of Love, W.W. Norton & Company, 2005
Slotkin, Alexander, “The Woman Who Talks”, Taylor & Francis Online, 15 Oct. 2023, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07350198.2020.1805576?scroll=top&needAccess=true&role=tab