Memory and identity

Memory forms an important part of being human and gives identity to an individual. Memories shape the way people think, their beliefs and attitudes. Memories make up an individual. Memories build up and shape the personas of individuals in society. Some may disagree on the impact of memories in differentiating humans from other creatures but the truth of the matter is that our human identity is in interaction with our memories. Memories dictate feelings and attitude that eventually influence the decisions we make. Decisions end up forming habits and habits influence beliefs. The storage of memories is what give humans the ability to solve complex problems as they can analyse by the help of their memories (Agnew, 2005).

In his book, the man who mistook his wife for a hat, Jimmy is a patient who has been diagnosed with Korsakov syndrome. Jimmy could only remember early details of his life. When Jimmie was conversing with Sacks, Sacks noticed that he talked about World War 2 as though it was present time. Jimmie did not know his age and believed he was a youth. He was shocked when sacks gave him a mirror. Jimmie thought it was a practical joke being played by Sacks. When Sacks left the room and then returned after a moment, jimmy did not remember him. Jimmy has no capacity to store short period memories and covert then into long term meaningful memories. Jimmy is not aware of his situation and therefore he is not sadden by the loss of his memories. Sacks describes his patient as isolated and living in a separate moment that has no past or future and therefore it is meaningless. . Oliver sacks enlightens on the importance of a functioning brain in creating an identity by storing memories. Memories gives one a sense of time which in turn gives their life context and meaning. Meaning gives life understanding and purpose (Sacks, 2015).

Memories seems to be dormant and consisting of the past and have no contribution to the future. It seems like an event which happened in the past and has stopped in time. A keen analysis of memory and identity seems to dictate otherwise. Memory and identity are dynamic and coexist together. Memory and identity connect the present, past and the future. Cultural memory usually links to identity. Therefore, memory associated with cultural identity is used as a foundation upon which one builds their identity as members of a certain group. This is made possible by remembering various facts in one’s memory. To belong to a certain group one must be able to remember particular rules and how they are applied within the community. The facts are what constitute cultural identity. If culture would be erased from existence, it would entirely rely on memory to create a new identity. If one can control and interpret past memories, they will have an upper hand in bettering of their future. Gloria Anzaldua acknowledges the importance of identity as demonstrated in her book. She grew up in south Texas which had multiple cultural identities. Different cultures integrated in south Texas .Gloria decides to stick to her original roots by identifying and piecing together Chicana, Indian and the North American cultures to make up her true identity. She succeeds by balancing languages such as Spanish and English. She uses her Indian culture in her thinking. In doing so, she creates her own identity without losing any integral part of herself. In order to have cultural identity, it is not a necessity for one to have similar features as others neither is it a must for one to be named in a similar way  as those he or she perceives as belonging to the group he wants to join. However, their conscious sense should be the same. Memories and identity are core indicators .They reveal to people the reason as to why they fit in a particular group instead of other groups despite of the differences with other members. Cultural identity is propelled by sharing various relationships formed as a result of social interactions within the group. Therefore, the importance of Gloria Anzaldua in fragmenting various pieces with the purpose of creating an identity through memory is justifiable (Anzaldúa & Keating, 2009).

Identity helps one to fully understand oneself and it is said to be influenced by one’s memory. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind tries to explain the intrigues of memory and identity through its characters. The movie evaluated the influence of memory in understanding ourselves. It also shows the consequences of losing memory and how it affects the nature of an individual. Joel’s interaction with his memory gives him experiences from his past that builds his character which in turn influences his life and his relationship with clementine. When these memories are erased he becomes a plain man, ready to go on in life without any influence from the past. Memory and identity cannot be separated from one another. Our past realities are what makes us who we are. If one forgets their actions and the consequences attached to those actions, they really do not know their identity as the actions carry traces of their character. What if one starts to think of himself as a teacher but he or she is student? In the movie, Clem and Joel clear their memories and as a result they forget each other. They were in a relationship for two years. After clearing their memories. They become empty and disoriented. Joel and Clem cannot reclaim their past life because their identities have been changed by erasing their past memories. After Joel’s memory is erased, his perception of himself is interrupted. His character and behavior are portrayed as meaningless. Loss of memory has affected his behavioral and thought patterns. A person is entirely made up of memories of his past which help them to survive the future. When memories are wiped out, the mind does not become blank but is infested with fissures and as result, the person becomes incomplete. Lacuna’s idea of washing away memories, damages the personality of an individual and prevents one from learning from mistakes committed in the past and how those mistakes can be avoided. Characters in the movie are disturbed by the fact that they do not understand themselves and this exposes them to past mistakes. Kaufman, C. (2004).

The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind characters can be excused for assuming that erasing stressful memories could help in solving their suffering. Erasing memories came at a great cost. Memory loss is accompanied by loss of knowledge and recognition. Creation of memories is important in the formation of identity (Kaufman, 2004).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

Agnew, V. (2005). Diaspora, memory, and identity: A search for home. Toronto: Univ. of Toronto Press.

Sacks, O. W. (2015). The man who mistook his wife for a hat.

Anzaldúa, G., & Keating, A. L. (2009). The Gloria Anzaldúa reader. Durham: Duke University Press.

Kaufman, C. (2004). Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind. S.l..