Conflicts And Symbols In The Forgetting By Sharon Cameron

What if you have to live knowing every 12 years it is inevitable that everyone you know and love will forget you, and you will forget them too? Surprisingly, that is the case in The Forgetting by Sharon Cameron. To begin, the NWSE (New World Space Exploration Corporation) initiates the Canaan project where 150 people, the best of the best from Earth will embark on a one-of-a-kind journey to expand the capabilities of humanity and colonize a new planet, Canaan. Their directive is "to populate the first civilization [that will] exist in harmony with itself and its environment" (Cameron 217). They will live without bloodshed, money, waste, and minimal technology to advance the knowledge of humanity. However, a strange phenomenon has occurred,

Therefore, when analyzing this novel, it is evident that the conflicts and symbols embody the theme of how knowledge is a powerful tool because it can manipulate and destroy others.

Firstly, the conflicts in the novel show how knowledge is used to control others because ignorance can lead to their demise. For example, Janis the Head of the Council takes advantage of the citizens’ ignorance, using the Forgetting as a way to test them to see if they are worthy enough to be part of her perfect society. First of all, every 12 years the Forgetting trees release spores into the air. These spores have three days to find a warm, humid place to replicate. However, its attempts at replicating in the human body triggers the brain to inflame; consequently, taking the memories of the last 12 years away which causes the Forgetting. Conversely, this process does not affect Janis so she was able to take control, gather information, and manipulate the population. She perceives the Forgetting as "a privilege. A gift. A rebirth. A chance for the wrongs of the past to disappear" (Cameron 301). In any case, the Forgetting brings more harm than good. People