The Wind Knows My Name

Content Warning: This guide contains descriptions of mass violence, antisemitism, genocide, discrimination, and hate crimes, which are depicted in The Wind Knows My Name.

Throughout the novel, characters consistently deny that horrible things are happening or will happen to and around them. Many Vienna residents consider oppression of Jewish communities temporary, insisting that the growing antisemitism will fade instead of escalating. Likewise, El Mozote residents try to live regular lives after the attack, simply moving to caves when they anticipate another attack. In the present, many ignore the refugee crisis; only a handful of individuals like Selena acknowledge the gravity of the crisis. These denials or apathy reflect the dangers of refusing to confront and resolve oppression: In most cases, denying it allows it to expand and harm even more people.

When Leticia returns to El Mozote as an adult, the narrator thus characterizes her guide: “That had been his life growing up, constantly fleeing” (64). His life of fear over another attack is an expression of denial because it provides only a temporary solution to the problem. Similarly, in Vienna, Rudolph shifts to seeing Peter in his back room and goes out less frequently, while Samuel starts attending school at his aunt Leah’s, which likewise reveal denial.