Was Grass's work considered pessimistic?
Some might interpret the persistent engagement with guilt and the darker aspects of human nature in my work as pessimistic. However, I would argue it is more of a realistic confrontation. To simply overlook or ignore the shadows – the atrocities, the failures, the capacity for cruelty – would be a far greater disservice. My aim was always to face these realities unflinchingly, believing that true understanding, and perhaps eventual healing, can only begin from such a foundation.
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