Our Secret
Like the fabric of time itself, Susan Griffin's essay "Our Secret" is anessentially non-linear piece of writing. However, the author createscohesiveness by weaving core threads of meaning and intent. Passages thatwould otherwise be completely disjointed from one another: stories of theHolocaust, of Griffin's childhood, of the manufacture and design ofballistic missiles and of the structure of DNA, form the warp and woof ofthe skillfully rendered essay. The fundamental theme of "Our Secret" isembodied in its title, which directly derives from Heinrich Himmler's ownwords: "we should take our secret to our graves." Using Himmler's biographyas the nucleus of the essay, Griffin explores the reverberations created bythe Reichsfuhrer. His influence, according to Griffin, is not only feltdirectly by those whose lives he encountered and inexorably changed vis-A -vis Nazi practices, but also in the ways he helped to create the collectiveconsciousness of a nation. Moreover, like any human being, Himmler cannotbe studied without consideration of his childhood experiences. Griffindemonstrates this also by weaving in stories of her own childhood, showingthe otherwise imperceptible links between her life and that
The link between unhealthy sexuality topain and torture are also explored sensitively and deftly throughdisturbing tales of Himmler's life. The course of humandestiny can be altered through awareness, conscious change, and a carefulcreation of personal and collective identity. In fact, one of her main premises is that even withsix billion people on the planet, no life exists in isolation from anyother. Just as thestructure of every living organism has its blueprint in DNA, every humanaction can be traced to some predetermined tendency. Physically and in many waysmentally and emotionally effeminate, Himmler may have compensated for hissense of inferiority by becoming a killer who took pleasure in the pain ofothers. The essay is an accessible, clear, andsolid tapestry of words, in spite of being "experimental. Both line and space together create theshapes and forms of the face. Even love can manifest in twisted means, as is exhibitedin the story of Leo. DNA and missile technology metaphorsthroughout "Our Secret," enable the writer to examine the subtleconnections between disparate lives, ideas, and objects. Griffin's unique style of writing reflectsher view of non-linear time: the past and the present are interwoven, asare the minds and souls of entire nations. Griffin's exploration of humansexuality includes commentary on the suppression or fear of homosexualitythat found its nastiest expression in Nazism. His affection for his heroic older brother became ademented predilection for acts of torture. As a boy, he became fascinated with the confessions ofothers. Along with their DNA,parents pass on pain and experience to their children, thus participatingin the creation of history. Sex and pain are commonly considered as counterparts, but theconnection between the two can find either innocent or morbid expression.
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Acceptance Essays
