Politics Of Memory Essay

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Remembrance is an integral part of our everyday lives. Both pleasant and unpleasant memories shape who we are as human beings. The definition of memory is two fold 1. “the faculty by which the mind stores and remembers information” and 2. “Something remembered from the past; a recollection” (Google Definition). The life of memory has three stages in which it is created. An event occurs in ones life it becomes encoded and stored in the brain. Following the encoding, the brain then has full access to retrieve the memory in a response to any current activity or thought. Memories are unique to each person. There are three main types of memories that are studied. An individual memory is one that is formed by his or her personal experiences. An institutional …show more content…

Memories are influenced by cultural and political factors as seen in the remembrance of World War II. The politics of memories structure collective memories. Each person had an extremely different experience during the Holocaust. This was due to the social and political norms during the Nazi period. The Jewish communities, as well as other a couple other communities were prisoners of the Holocaust; the Nazi’s were the perpetrator. Thus an inmate of a concentration camp is going to have an extremely different perspective the Nazi war criminal. Thus the identity of the Holocaust and how it is remembered is influenced by the way the collective politics of memory. “The politics of memory are defined as a public art, utterance or site where the memory of the past is evoked, discussed, contested, symbolized, publicized, formulated, or contained” (Dresp). Memorials are erected often as a way to remember and honor the past. They aim to remind visitors of the past and to keep those specific moments alive. George Santayana, a Spanish philosopher once said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Even though it is possible to forget the bad memories that occur, does not mean that we should. As I said before all memories, both good and bad shape not only individuals, but also our community as a

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