Reflective Remembrance and Reinterpretation
By Jonathan Lam on 02/02/16
Tagged: the-homework-life the-homework-life-thought
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We had to write a short piece that was analytical, exploratory, and comparative in nature. It was to analyze any similarity we found between "Hole" by Andrew Porter and Catcher in the Rye— a form of juxtaposition to get more meaning out of it.
I chose to write my analysis on the similar style in which both of the authors wrote theirs: a passive, past-tense voice. One that is a bit apathetic, but still revealing of emotions.
I thought it was interesting how the narrator in "Hole" said that:
It is said that when you are older you can remember events that occurred years before more vividly than you could even a day or two after you experienced them.
I dived deeper into this thought. What could have done this? What does time do that can actually benefit our own memories and perception, to such an extent that it can overcome the gradual process of memory loss?
This turned me back to the passive tone in the articles. They seemed somewhat devoid of excitement: boring, depressed, hopeless. It was not a "Oh no! My friend just died!" kind of moment, but a sage-like voice with long, flowing beard, telling you of a story long, long ago. And that's what it feels like. Long, long ago.
Therefore, I deduced from this that emotion leaves our memories quicker than the events themselves. And that is why, after some time, we can more clearly look back on our memories and reflect on them in a more meaningful way. After the excitement. After the depression. After the surprise. As always, emotions meddle with our minds. But once they fade, we can see more clearly.
As a side note, you'll notice if you click on the link to my piece that the publication viewing interface has changed. It's inspired by the Google Chrome PDF viewer for a clean, paginated interface.