History and Memory Essay Example

History and Memory Essay Example History and Memory Essay History and Memory Essay All individuals hate being lied to. We are always on a quest to find the truth. How do we discover what is real and what is illusion? We look for documented evidence of course, but this alone is not enough. We also need to discover eyewitness testimony and crave to find individuals whose memories will unlock the door to the mystery that lies before us. It is the memories of others that add substance to evidence, that fill in the blanks that cannot be captured on paper. Our legal system relies heavily on both memory and documented evidence, and so the two are inexplicably entwined. History needs memory, without it, we cannot create a whole picture. Mark Raphael Baker, a historian and writer discovered that History and Memory are inseparable in his search for the truth about the Holocaust, as shown in his biography The Fiftieth Gate. He needed both to make sense not only of his parents lives and that of the millions of Jewish people that died, but also his own. The documentary Nazi Hunters, produced by ________________ also reveals that any quest needs a combination of both History and Memory to forge an accurate image of past events. Wilfred Owen’s poem Dulce Et Decorum Est, provides a powerful and moving indictment against war captured in his personal and documented experiences. His poems are not just recorded histories but also memories and evidence of the destruction of the First World War. Without memory, we cannot paint an accurate picture of our past. Mark Baker discovers this on his journey back to Poland with his mother Genia and his father Yossl. On Mark’s journey to Wierzbnik, he is confronted by the graves of his grandmother and aunties whom he never knew. Joe, a cheerful 86 year old Holocaust survivor who originated from Hungary, who took â€Å"†¦only 30 minutes† to summaries his own personal history. His commentary had been based upon his memories, which were complimented by several historical facts. Certain comments made by Joe were quite surprising, due to their absence in historical writings, such as his repeated motto â€Å"Do not hate. † The impression and aura given out by him failed to express any excessive sorrow or grief. I don’t personally know how he manages to do such, after all the terrible experiences of human evil, being able to live such a joyful life. I would have every right to hate, but I do not hate†¦but I do remember†¦do not forget†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , these heart touching words of Joe presented the whole anticipated response with an unexpected twist. The prominence in his words was simply unbelievable, where hate was expected there had been mercy and gratefulness present. Keith Moer man, another Holocaust survivor from Holland had also encountered an unusual experience during the war period as retold his story on a German soldier offering him a lollipop while Keith had been on his way of getting water, â€Å"†¦but I wasn’t going to take a lolly from a German. † Keith added. Factual evidence tends to leave out little details, details such as the presence of kind German soldiers, or the peaceful feedback of the survivors. Its focus is based on the majority of the cases, which stated the cruelty of these soldiers, as 75% of Jews were killed during the Holocaust. There are points were memories-collective memories-can be used to validate the historical documents. The evidence for the existence of the ‘Underground’ can be verified by the mentioning of it by both Keith and Joe. Both determined to survive and live pass this horrifying war had fought against the Germans. Even the individual memories being so incredibly powerful in relation to the human feelings and emotions, on their own they continually encounter disbelief and skepticism. â€Å"†¦I doubted her†¦never believed her, that I only recognize suffering in numbers and lists and not in the laments and pleas of a human being†¦screaming for acknowledgment. † Mark Baker’s realization of how important and significant history is to the logical human brain doesn’t occur until the awareness of the truthfulness behind his own mother’s story. I can imagine how hurt Genia, his mother, must have felt by her own son mistrusting her memories, brings me back to my own occurrences of being mistrusted. It is impossible to prove anything without having proof in today’s society. Present generations believe in alleged ‘proven facts’, which tend to signify the major struggle in keeping these significant memories alive. Baker’s doubt in his own parents presents a good example of this. This then raises the question- If this already the case with the current generation, what will happen in the future. Will the knowledge of the past just simply fade away? Memories alone are not the perfect source of re-establishing the events of the past, as they are personal, enclosed to certain detail, inconsecutive at a frequent rate and lack logical progression. All, Joe, Keith and Yossl are exemplary examples of this. The failure of keeping a chronological order draws the chance of neglecting vital parts of the actual event. â€Å"It was cold, winter, we had winter boots on†¦Ã¢â‚¬ according to Yossl’s definite description of the terribly cold day, 27th October 1942. Although of the convinced assurance, the memory is proven incorrect by written recordings of the other Jews. It had been a hot autumn day, whose heat Yossl is incapable of recalling. The presence of confusion is evident in the attempt of educing memory. Who doesn’t experience this? I’ve had troubles with drawing onto my own memories at times. I would say human beings tend to link inner feelings and emotions with the surrounding environment-as did Yossl-happens to the best of us. Neither memories nor historical facts work independently of each other to retell the past. Hence a combination of personal experiences, memories and documented evidences are essential for establishing the most accurate and reliable representation of history.