The Time Arrow has received critical acclaim for its empirical representation, solving the challenge of presenting the history of the Holocaust to modern readers. However, the identity of the novel author and the theme of the Holocaust have also sparked ethical controversies, especially the criticism of Israeli Jewish writer Luhansh, who accused non survivor Holocaust novels of commercializing and mainstreaming the theme of the Holocaust, marginalizing the voices of Jewish writers. Luvish's criticism points to broader "Anglo American" Holocaust novels, which are typically written by non Jewish authors and aimed at non Jewish readers, with the Holocaust as their theme. Despite Luvish's sensitive attitude towards the author identity and theme of 'The Arrow of Time', he failed to fully recognize Amis' efforts to overcome the ethical crisis of representation in the novel.

A taboo: the ethical crisis of the reproduction of Anglo American Holocaust novels

The Anglo American Holocaust novels emerged after World War II, such as Hershey's "The Wall," which received widespread attention from English readers. However, Yiddish scholars criticize these works for ignoring the special significance of the Holocaust for Jews, and consider it taboo for non victim writers to explore this topic. This taboo involves issues of crossing boundaries, aesthetics, and ethical reproduction, and works by non victim writers are often criticized as immoral. Amis' 'Arrow of Time' demonstrates his exploration of the novel's ability to reproduce the Holocaust while also striving to defend the legitimate status of non Jewish writers in Holocaust writing. Amis realized his "Anglo American" identity in his creation, but decided to bring his unique perspective into the theme of the Holocaust, making a unique contribution by "de othering" the perpetrators.

'They' are 'us': The' de othering 'of Holocaust perpetrators

Explored the concept of "otherization" and its application in the representation of perpetrators of the Holocaust. 'Othering' refers to the practice of viewing different groups as non-human, while 'de othering' aims to eliminate this unequal opposition and restore the human identity of participants. Amis' 'de othering' of the perpetrators of the Holocaust in 'Arrow of Time' aims to reveal their shared human identity with 'us' and oppose viewing them as incomprehensible' others'. This reproduction strategy aims to correct the lack of the perpetrator's perspective in the narrative of the Holocaust, prompting readers to delve into the mechanism of Nazi crimes rather than simply attributing them to "demons" or "strange characteristics". Amis believed that as an "Aryan," he had a responsibility to pay attention to the perpetrators, which echoed Arendt's theory of "banal evil," emphasizing that the perpetrators' evil could be understood by humanity itself. By establishing a connection between race and history, Amis' novels challenge traditional othering narratives and provide a new perspective for understanding the Holocaust.

Entering the 'inner world': the narrator of the 'soul' as a bridge

The Time Arrow takes readers deep into the inner world of Nazi doctor Odilo through the narrator "I" - the "soul" awakened by Odilo at the end of his life. The narrator not only perceives Odilo's emotional fluctuations, but also glimpses into his dreams, revealing the entire process of Odilo from childhood to becoming a member of the SS, killing Jews at Auschwitz, and then fleeing to the United States and hiding his identity after being defeated. The novel showcases Odilo's complex emotions and character, which include warmth towards his family, compassion towards patients, as well as negative traits such as lust, indifference, and selfishness. This' ordinariness' implies that the essence of the Holocaust crime may not be the rare and peculiar evil, but the banality of the evil that is overlooked in daily life. Amis drew inspiration from Lefton's "dual" theory and demonstrated how the "dual self" coexists and plays a role in individuals through the personification and subjectification of the "soul". The novel's de othering representation of the perpetrator presents them in the image of a 'human', providing a new perspective for exploring individual crime. However, Amis also faces a challenge: how to anthropomorphize the perpetrators without violating historical facts and moral principles? This is not only an ethical issue, but also an artistic challenge. Amis stated in an interview that although this is a sensitive and difficult topic, he believes that writers should not have any forbidden areas.

Resisting Empathy: The Manifestation of Ethics in "Soul" Narrators and "Backward" Narratives

The Time Arrow uses a "soul" narrator and a "rewind" narrative strategy to resist readers' empathy towards the perpetrators of the Holocaust and protect their moral judgment. This narrative technique embodies the ethical representation of the Anglo American Holocaust novels, which involves portraying the perpetrators in a de othering manner while avoiding emotional contamination for readers. The "intermediary discourse" in the novel serves as a buffer between the narrator and the perpetrator, refusing to allow readers to directly engage with the thoughts and feelings of the perpetrator. Compared to direct first person narrative, this narrative style avoids sympathy and defense towards the Nazis. Amis' "rewind" narrative is not only an anti natural narrative mode, but also a representation of the psychological evolution of ordinary people becoming perpetrators of the Holocaust, revealing the crucial reversal effect of ideological power. At the same time, the unreliable narration generated by the "rewind" narrative keeps readers skeptical and observant, wary of being misled by the cognition of the "soul". The reading process becomes a process for readers to break free from illusions, return to the observer's position, re-examine and judge, and form a sharp contrast with the process of the "soul" being trapped in "anti nature" and being confused, consumed, and assimilated by it. Through this narrative style, Amis demonstrates the ethical stance that Holocaust novels should hold when portraying perpetrators, guiding readers to emotionally distance, restrain, and be cautious towards perpetrators, making the reading process itself a form of "anti perpetrator" education. This kind of 'de othering' reproduction does not absolve the perpetrator of guilt, but is responsible for the true 'other'.

Who is the true 'other': responsible for the victims

In "Arrow of Time," Amis uses a unique narrative technique to portray the victims of the Holocaust as true "others," emphasizing the unknowable nature of their suffering experiences and the paradoxical nature of their testimonies. The novel explores the understanding and witnessing of the Holocaust through "speech" rather than "words", avoiding a simplistic display of the suffering of the victims and a closed exposure of the crimes of the perpetrators. Amis expanded the content of witnessing, transforming a single historical witness into a "relational" witness that connects the past, present, and future, including the relationship between Oedipus and the Holocaust, the relationship between the narrator "I" and the event, the relationship between the author and the event, and the relationship between the reader and the event. These relationships prompt people to think about how to continue the unfinished cause of justice in contemporary times and take responsibility for the victims. Amis' "de othering" strategy breaks the simplistic conclusion of perpetrators, guiding people to deeply consider the formation of perpetrators and be wary of the Nazi shadow in the post Holocaust era. The novel avoids empathy between readers and perpetrators through unnatural narrators and anti natural narrative styles, emphasizing attention and responsibility towards victims. Amis' explorations and strategies not only responded to criticism of the Anglo American Holocaust novels, but also constructed its unique ethical representation, demonstrating its special mission and enormous potential in the writing of Holocaust novels.