Difference in Understanding

In Saya's blog post, she discussed the meaning of truly "understanding" the Holocaust, and how Carl's father constantly accuses the children of never "understanding". However, I feel that Carl and her brothers definitely do understand the Holocaust on a much deeper level than he may suspect, only from a different perspective: a child's. From her drawing of the man being hanged to her burying of all her toys, Carl is clearly hearing what her father is saying and even applying it to her own life. In the case of the burial, it is obvious that because Carl and her brothers have not genuinely been physically and emotionally exposed to the horrors and pain of the Holocaust, they are unable to truly understand the Holocaust the way that their father does. When Carl grows increasingly worried that her toys will be given to Nellie and then to Ineke, it is also obvious that she does not truly grasp the concept and reasoning behind the need to bury items during the Holocaust. However, Carl's true understanding of the situation lies within her decision to apply the situation onto her own life. Because she will never be able to comprehend the Holocaust on the level of a survivor, the equivalent of such an experience is only one that she can create for herself in her own life. Even though Carl and her brothers may not ever be able to completely comprehend the Holocaust the way that Holocaust survivors know it to be, their continuous acts to recreate what they believe had been the circumstances of the time illustrate their desire to understand their father, and the true level of their understanding.