History and Memory Essay

The interrelationship of autobiography and retrospect show that each is individually trammel- repositing presents limited perspective while history presents limited account- this conflicting nature ensures that without considering both we have a little good history. This concept is portrayed in the prescribed text The fiftieth gate by firebrand Baker that involves an individuals journey into the sometime(prenominal)(a) to reconstruct his get ups experiences. Bakers explores the mind that both history and memory are essential to validate, illuminate and add emotion and discolour to the different in order to ultimately form a honest deputation of history.Through the instruct of this text one keep come to understand that the ultimate role of history is to find self-identity and open up the barriers of the past. Memory is shaped by and composed of individual emotions and self-reflections as a result it is influenced by persuade and is highly subjective. Therefore mem ory only provides one bias and subjective perspective of history, making the representation of history to be less reliable and limited. This is portrayed in the run along It was cold, winter, we had winter boots on, the ones with money sew inside. He says it was cold. Winter. But it was warm. Autumn.Here the use of direct speech engages the audition into Yossls situation. The interview is then able to realise that the experiences of caution, torment and paranoia that Yossl went through in the holocaust has shaped and influenced his memory. As a result his perspective of history is less reliable and thus highly limited. This is portrayed in the bound I remember this exactly like yesterday there was a church with some hillscan you see my legs through there? Here through the use of a narrative device, an interview, Baker engages the auditory senses attention through the use of origin person language and direct speech.This then conveys the sentiment that memory is limited in rep resenting history because it is influenced by individual experiences that allow for qualify their perspective of history. In addition the spontaneous responses add a personal sense to further emphasize the limitation of memory that it can fail at any time. History is shaped by collective memory, providing a habitual representation of an event, personality or situation. As a result the representation of history is less reliable because it does non account for the views and perspectives of those that are a minority or have been forgotten.Baker uses a grand range of textual features to communicate to the audience how documented attest paints a picture of the past. The use of archival documents, letters, school reports, council reports and Yiddish and German lullabies engage the reader but also adds a sense of authencity and historical presence. and through Bakers self-journey in the book, the audience is able to realise that documented evidence cannot account for all stories, th is is especially seen with Genias story of the holocaust. This is explored in the line does history remember much than memory?I only recognise suffering in numbers and lists and not in the laments and pleas of a man being, of a mother, screaming for acknowledgment The use of a rhetorical question builds suspense as the audience realises that the persona has come to a stage of realisation where Baker has understood that memory is just as important as the documented evidence that validates it. Documented evidence is able to validate as head as illuminate memory, while memory adds self-emotions and reflections to fill the gaps of documented evidence.In collaboration they constrain a more reliable and truthful history. Baker uses archival documents, school reports, lullabies, council reports and letters to illuminate hidden fragments of his parents memory. This is shown in the line I thrust his report card under his eyes and demand him to read. He obeys, like an intimidated school childHe smothers an involuntary laugh, hiding the thoughts that lie tardily it. Baker through the use of a simile compares his father to a child.This conveys the idea that the documented evidence has allowed Yossl to step back into his youth and bring forward the significant memories of his past. In addition the use of emotional and descriptive language through Laughing and intimidated creates a warm and personal asynchronous transfer mode to emphasises the idea to the audience of how memory can add emotions to documented evidence, and thus together to create a more reliable and truthful history. Together both documented evidence and memory allow for an exchange of pasts to create a more reliable, valid and truthful history.Through this Baker has shown the interplay of history and memory. Baker has shown that the importance of the interplay of history and memory is to create a reliable history allowing one to explore the recreation of the past to shake off sense of who they are , where they are and the journey they have gone through. In The fiftieth gate the journey into the past of his parents has allowed Baker to undergo a self-journey of learning. At first-class honours degree Baker observed the past of his parents with an historian time period of view, seeking documented evidence to validate and make true his parents memory.However the experiences with the past of his mother, made Baker realise the importance of memory in the representation of history. This is shown in the juxtaposition of the line His was a past written on a page of history shared by other survivors. My mother could not point to anyone with the line What are these papers anyway except echoes of the past, dark shadows without screams, without smells, without fear. The juxtaposition of the lines shows the change in attitude of Baker as he realises the importance of memory in the representation of history.The use of emotive language such as dark shadows creates a dark air travel to em phasise the anger and torment he feels because of his ignorance to listen to his Mothers story of the holocaust. Baker has utilise a broadside structure to convey the idea that the journey into history and memory is a circular one. This is demonstrated in The fiftieth gate through the repetition of the line It always begins in blackness, until the first light illuminates the hidden fragment of memory at the beginning and end of the book.This conveys the idea that the journey will allow for greater insight and understanding of your past and yourself. This will further inspire a self-journey of change and understanding. This has been shown through the changing attitude of Baker himself in the novel. This is demonstrated through the juxtaposition of the lines His was a past written on a page of history shared by other survivors. My mother could not point to anyone with the line What are these papers anyway except echoes of the past, dark shadows without screams, without smells, witho ut fear.This conveys that at first observed the past of his parents with an historian point of view, seeking documented evidence to validate and make true his parents memory. However the experiences with the past of his mother, made Baker realise the importance of memory in the representation of history. The use of emotive language such as dark shadows creates a dark atmosphere to emphasise the anger and torment he feels because of his ignorance to listen to his Mothers story of the holocaust.