The Storyteller
Chapter 13: Sage 7
by Picoult, JodiThe chapter “Sage 7” recounts a poignant moment between the narrator, Sage, and her grandmother, a Holocaust survivor who also battled cancer. As a child, Sage accidentally sees her grandmother naked after a shower, noticing her mastectomy scar and a number tattooed on her arm—a stark reminder of her past in the concentration camps. Her grandmother, instead of hiding, invites Sage closer, emphasizing that her scars are part of her but do not define her. This moment becomes a touching lesson in resilience and acceptance, as the grandmother reassures Sage that despite her losses, much of her remains intact.
Years later, as Sage sits with her elderly grandmother, their conversation shifts to her survival during the Holocaust. The grandmother reflects on the small comforts she struggled to embrace after the war, like sleeping on a mattress, and how her husband helped her adjust to a new life. She shares how they met in Sweden, where he was drawn to her spirit despite her emaciated appearance. Her story highlights the juxtaposition of trauma and love, as well as the gradual process of rebuilding a life after unimaginable suffering.
The grandmother also discusses her deliberate choice to focus on the present rather than dwell on the past. She avoided survivor groups that centered on hatred, preferring to celebrate her new life in America with her family and interests. Yet, she grapples with the complexity of forgiveness, acknowledging that some actions, like the murder of her best friend, are beyond her capacity to forgive. Her reflections reveal the moral ambiguity of survival, where gratitude and resentment coexist.
The chapter closes with the grandmother’s unresolved anger toward one of her tormentors, not for the physical abuse but for stripping away her ability to trust. Sage’s childhood memory of her grandmother’s cautious insistence on using sidewalks—a metaphor for the value of freedoms once lost—ties the narrative together. The chapter underscores how trauma reshapes perception and how survival is both a burden and a testament to enduring strength.
FAQs
1. How does the young Sage’s initial perception of her grandmother’s body differ from her grandmother’s own perspective?
Answer:
Young Sage is shocked by the physical differences she observes—her grandmother’s sagging skin, the number tattooed on her arm, and the mastectomy scar—which seem foreign and frightening to a child’s eyes. However, her grandmother reframes this perspective by emphasizing what remains rather than what’s missing, saying, “But see how much of me is left?” This contrast highlights the difference between Sage’s superficial observation and her grandmother’s resilient self-perception, which focuses on survival and wholeness despite trauma.2. What does the grandmother’s anecdote about sleeping on the floor reveal about the lasting psychological effects of her Holocaust experiences?
Answer:
The grandmother’s inability to sleep on a mattress after the war demonstrates how trauma reshapes basic behaviors. Her adaptation to harsh conditions in the camps made comfort feel unnatural, a common phenomenon among survivors. Her eventual adjustment—thanks to her husband’s insistence—shows both the persistence of trauma and the healing power of love and normalcy. This detail underscores how survival extended beyond physical liberation to include psychological recalibration.3. Analyze the significance of the sidewalk anecdote. How does it reflect the grandmother’s worldview post-Holocaust?
Answer:
When young Sage questions why her grandmother insists on using sidewalks instead of cutting through the street, she later realizes it symbolizes her grandmother’s hard-won appreciation for freedoms others take for granted. The sidewalk represents safety, order, and privilege—things denied to her during the Holocaust. This moment encapsulates the generational divide in perceiving liberty: Sage sees arbitrary rules, while her grandmother cherishes the luxury of choice that survival afforded her.4. Why does the grandmother reject Holocaust survivor groups, and what does this reveal about her approach to healing?
Answer:
She avoids groups focused on collective hatred of Germans, preferring to discuss movies, her husband, and her new life in America. This reflects her conscious choice to define herself beyond victimhood, prioritizing present joy over past trauma. Her approach emphasizes forward-looking resilience rather than communal grief, suggesting that healing, for her, required embracing normalcy rather than dwelling on historical wounds.5. How does the grandmother’s distinction between forgiveness and impossibility (“it is not my place to forgive”) complicate traditional narratives of reconciliation?
Answer:
Her refusal to forgive her friend’s murderer—because only the victim could legitimately do so—challenges simplistic notions of forgiveness as a universal virtue. She acknowledges moral nuance: while one captor saved her life (an act that might warrant forgiveness), another’s crimes exceeded any personal absolution. This perspective honors the irreplaceability of victims’ voices and rejects monolithic “healing” expectations placed on survivors.
Quotes
1. “‘Come closer, Sagele,’ she said. ‘There’s nothing about me I want to hide from you.’”
This moment captures the raw vulnerability and intimacy between Sage and her grandmother, as the child confronts the physical scars of her grandmother’s mastectomy and Holocaust survival. The quote embodies the theme of transparency and acceptance across generations.
2. “‘Yes,’ she said. ‘But see how much of me is left?’”
A powerful reframing of loss and resilience, this quote distills the grandmother’s worldview: focusing not on what was taken (her breast, her youth), but on what remains. It becomes a metaphor for survival itself.
3. “‘When a freedom is taken away from you, I suppose, you recognize it as a privilege, not a right.’”
This insight emerges from Sage’s realization about her grandmother’s insistence on using sidewalks. It encapsulates how trauma reshapes perception, turning mundane freedoms into conscious blessings - a core theme of the chapter.
4. “‘I could never forgive the Schutzhaftlagerführer for killing my best friend… That could only be done by Darija, and he made that impossible.’”
This reveals the grandmother’s nuanced philosophy about forgiveness - recognizing its limits and the stolen agency of victims. The distinction between personal and impossible forgiveness adds depth to Holocaust narratives.
5. “‘When I was in that starvation cell,’ my grandmother says quietly, ‘I hated him. Not for fooling me into trusting him, or even for beating me. But becaus…’”
The truncated ending mirrors how trauma resists complete articulation. This quote showcases the chapter’s exploration of complex hatreds that transcend physical suffering, hinting at deeper betrayals.