Memory and History in the Works of Michael Ondaatje
In the Canadian social context, the issue of identity can be a fraught one, and the question of what it means to be Canadian is notoriously sticky, particularly given the wide variety of social and cultural backgrounds claimed by Canadians and the heterogeneity of their own experiences. This paper deals with the ways in which the Canadian writer Michael Ondaatje works with issues of understanding and accessing memories and histories outside of one’s personal lived experience.
Ondaatje’s The English Patient opens with an epigraph culled from the minutes of a Geographical Society meeting in London in the early nineteen-forties. It reads:
“Most of you, I am sure, remember the tragic circumstances of the death of Geoffrey Clifton at Gilf Kebir, followed later by the disappearance of his wife, Katherine Clifton, which took place during the 1939 desert expedition in search of Zerzura.
“I cannot begin this meeting tonight without referring very sympathetically to those tragic occurrences.
‘The lecture this evening…”
The passage introduces a number of key themes in the text, and is worth dealing with at some length. The first issue I want to examine is the opening line. Memory is arguably the most important issue at play in this novel, and its positioning here draws attention to its recurring significance throughout the text. The context of its usage is of particular interest. A later passage notes the attitude of disinterested objectivity, of scientific detachment, that pervades the lectures’ setting, and the uneasiness of the speakers as they struggle to readjust to the urban and urbane environment. ‘Someone will introduce the talk’, it notes, ‘and someone will give thanks … [t]he years of preparation and research and fund-raising are never mentioned in these oak rooms … losses in extreme heat or windstorm are announced with minimal eulogy. All human and financial behaviour lies on the far side of the issue being discussed — which is the earth’s surface and its “interesting geographical problems”’ (134).
The tension between the impersonal detachment of the lecture’s atmosphere and the terminology in the epigraph is one that operates through much of Ondaatje’s work. That tension is in the text that holds together two opposing forces — personal, lived memory, and cultural memory. Susan Sontag, in her recent book Regarding the Pain of Others, makes the somewhat contentious claim that ‘there is no such thing as collective memory … all memory is individual, unreproducible — it dies with each person.
Ida Fink’s work, “The Table”, is an example of how old or disturbing memories may not contain the factual details required for legal documentation. The purpose of her writing is to show us that people remember traumatic events not through images, sounds, and details, but through feelings and emotions. To break that down into two parts, Fink uses vague characters to speak aloud about their experiences to prove their inconsistencies, while using their actions and manners to show their emotions as they dig through their memories in search of answers in order to show that though their spoken stories may differ, they each feel the same pain and fear.
Thompson, John Herd, and Mark Paul Richard. "Canadian History in North American Context." In Canadian studies in the new millennium. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2008. 37-64.
Pia M. Orrenius. “U.S. Immigration and Economic Growth: Putting Policy on Hold.” Dallsfed.org. Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Research Department. December 2003. Web. 7 October 2011
The numbers of immigrants to United States has risen from thousands to a record high of one million immigrants by the year 2008. The table below can represent this information
The title of this piece, “Remembered Morning,” establishes what the speaker describes in the stanzas that follow as memory; this fact implies many themes that accompany works concerning the past: nostalgia, regret, and romanticism, for instance. The title, therefore, provides a lens through which to view the speaker’s observations.
The teachings according to Confucius refer to Confucianism. Confucianism is the multifarious classification of ethical, collective, political and pious philosophy developed by Confucius and the old Chinese practices (Bertrand, 1999). Confucianism aim is actually making an individual honorable but also making such an individual the character of learning and of proper manners. The ideal and faultless man has to combine the characters of a saint, an intellectual and gentleman. Confucianism is a religious conviction whose adulation is focused on offerings to the dead. The idea of responsibility is extensive beyond the precincts of morals and holds close to the minutiae of daily living.
Before You Start Internet Dating What to Watch out For, What to Beware Of! Web. 20
The United States cannot afford to lose the economic gains that come from immigrant labor. The economy would be suffering a greater loss if it weren’t for immigrants and their labor contributions, especially during the 2008 U.S. recession. The U.S. economy would most likely worsen if it weren’t for the strong labor force immigrants have provided this country. Despite the mostly negative views native-born Americans have towards immigrants and the economy, their strong representation in the labor forces continues today. Immigrants aren’t taking “American” jobs, they are taking the jobs that Americans don’t want (Delener & Ventilato, 2008). Immigrants contribute to various aspects of the economy, including brining valuable skills to their jobs, contributing to the cost of living through taxes, and the lacked use of welfare, healthcare, and social security when compared to native-born Americans, showing that the United States cannot afford to lose the contribution immigrants bring into the economy.
In the film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind stresses the importance of memory and how memories shape a person’s identity. Stories such as “In Search of Lost Time” by Proust and a report by the President’s Council on Bioethics called “Beyond Therapy” support the claims made in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
Immigration is an issue that is a fiercely debated topic in the United States. Some believe that it is detrimental to the economy as a whole and affects our overall wages in a negative way. Others argue that it actually keeps the economy moving in a positive direction and increases wages over time for people in the United States. On Thursday April 17, 2014 we debated this topic in class in order to shed light on both sides of the argument. Both sides used case studies, articles, quotes and data to prove their case.
Immigrants have done many accomplishments for the U. S and are a critical piece of the puzzle. Immigrants have come to the United States to build a better live for themselves but, in the process have done much more. The topic of immigration is debatable one. Many Americans agree that immigrants are essential to the economy. However, several individuals would disagree. Eric A Ruark and Matthew Graham argue, ‘“Regardless of views about the overall economic effect of immigration, almost all economists agree that poor native workers bear the brunt of its negative consequences” (par.12). Ruark and Graham state that many may have different views on how immigrants have impacted the U. S economy but, most don’t see that natives have to take the negative hit economically. Immigrants are taking away what natives are supposed to be benefiting from, millions of jobs are being taken away from natives by immigrants resulting in a profit for immigrants and nothing for the natives also when it comes to healthcare immigrants inability to pay for medical attention is causing hospitals and emergency rooms to shut down due to the lack of profit and not being able to afford to stay open, which affects the natives who work in these hospitals and ER’s and who go in for medical care. Ruark and Graham fail to realize that immigrants do not come to the U. S to take away what so many have built for themselves
Lebow, Richard Ned. "The Future of Memory." American Academy of Political and Social 617 (2008): 25-41. JSTOR. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.
For many centuries, Confucianism has been widely revered by the Chinese for its emphasis on morality. Confucius, who lived from 551 to 479 BCE, is different to most philosophers in that he showed no interest questioning his existence, the possibility of a God, or the reality that he seemed to live in; instead he focused on the human relations side of philosophy as it was his belief that people should “give (themselves) earnestly to the duties due to men … (and) keep aloof from (spiritual beings)” (Confucius 195). By negating the metaphysical side of philosophy, he was able to devote himself to mold his disciples into ideal gentleman who were morally righteous, and were able to benefit society. He believed in the importance of individuals who knew their roles in an well-structured society, that was a feudal system. In his opinion, the ideal gentleman should be obedient to his elders, have humanness and be morally righteous. Through his teachings, he was able to reform an entire country; the Chinese found Confucianism to embody practices of humaneness that they could apply in their daily lives through his religion.
The concept of Confucianism has contributed immensely in the forming of Chinese character, behaviour and the way to live, with its main purpose being to achieve harmony which is considered the greatest social value. Confucianism firmly highlights the impression of mercy, social order and fulfilment of responsibilities. The effects of Confucianism had impacted both China and Japan to the extent that the changes are still noticeable to this day.
Kotler, J., & Keller, K. (2012). A framework for marketing management. Essex: Pearson Education Ltd.