What Testimony Does to Literature

This article sheds light on a literary practice that critics began to reflect upon in the twentieth century: witnessing. genre, by adopting narrative model based statements of evidence presented courtroom, distinguishes itself from other forms expression practiced witnesses. Survivors political violence take up their pens and describe situation they have been subjected to, so as attest historical facts prevent erasure event through forgetting, denial or negation. enterprise, which seeks document lived experience thereby pay homage victims who did not survive, constitutes both source for legal procedure contribution writing history. Witnessing, however it may be, is founded pact veracity, witnesses are bound relate no more than own do with precision. Finally, witness accounts addressed society at large even humanity whole, hope emancipating such raising awareness its intolerable nature. Though witnessing still lacks legitimacy within field, link establishes between ethical, aesthetic positions makes this genre exemplary what literature capable of.