Memory, traumaMemory, trauma

►““The past is a different country. They The past is a different country. They do things differently there.” (L. P. do things differently there.” (L. P. Hartley) Hartley)

►““You have to begin to lose your You have to begin to lose your memory, if only in bits and pieces, to memory, if only in bits and pieces, to realize that memory is what makes our realize that memory is what makes our lives. Life without memory is no life at lives. Life without memory is no life at all... Our memory is our coherence, our all... Our memory is our coherence, our reason, our feeling, even our action. reason, our feeling, even our action. Without it, we are nothing. (Luis Without it, we are nothing. (Luis Buñuel) Buñuel)

►““Memory is the irruption of other Memory is the irruption of other things in us” (Maurice Merleau-Ponty)things in us” (Maurice Merleau-Ponty)

►““Only that which never ceases to hurt Only that which never ceases to hurt will stay in the memory” (Nietzsche: will stay in the memory” (Nietzsche: The Generalogy of MoralsThe Generalogy of Morals) )

““The horror of that moment,” the king The horror of that moment,” the king went on, “I shall never, went on, “I shall never, nevernever forget!” forget!”

““You will though”, the Queen said, “if You will though”, the Queen said, “if you don’t make a memorandum of it”. you don’t make a memorandum of it”. ((Through the Looking-GlassThrough the Looking-Glass) )

►Richard Terdiman: memory is the past Richard Terdiman: memory is the past made presentmade present

►Assmann: The study of memory is Assmann: The study of memory is interested not in the past as such, but interested not in the past as such, but in the past as it is remembered. It is in the past as it is remembered. It is concerned with the paths of handing concerned with the paths of handing down, the diachronic continuities of the down, the diachronic continuities of the reading of the past” (reading of the past” (MosesMoses))

mythologymythology

►Mnemosyne Mnemosyne ►Mother of the nine Muses Mother of the nine Muses

(memory and art) (memory and art)

Memory and philosophyMemory and philosophy

►Epistemological problem Epistemological problem ►Plato: MNEME Plato: MNEME ►““what we call learning is really just what we call learning is really just

recollection” (recollection” (PhaedoPhaedo) ) ►ANAMNESIS: conscious effort to ANAMNESIS: conscious effort to

retrieve retrieve

Plato’s Plato’s TheaetetusTheaetetus: two : two models models

►(1) block of wax in the mind (1) block of wax in the mind ►We hold this wax under the We hold this wax under the

perceptions or ideas and “imprint perceptions or ideas and “imprint them on it as we might stamp the them on it as we might stamp the impression of a seal ring. Whatever is impression of a seal ring. Whatever is so imprinted we remember and know so imprinted we remember and know so long as the image remains, so long as the image remains, whatever is rubbed out or has not whatever is rubbed out or has not succeeded in leaving an impression we succeeded in leaving an impression we have forgotten and do not know” have forgotten and do not know”

Plato’s Plato’s TheaetetusTheaetetus: two : two modelsmodels

►(2) aviary stocked with birds (2) aviary stocked with birds

AristotleAristotle

►We think only in images We think only in images ►Time: a linear series of similar Time: a linear series of similar

presentspresents►Do we recall the thing or its image? Do we recall the thing or its image? ►Perception and memory (Benjy in Perception and memory (Benjy in The The

Sound and the FurySound and the Fury))

EnlightenmentEnlightenment

►Locke, Hume Locke, Hume ►storage/retrieval model of memorystorage/retrieval model of memory►„„The power to revive again in our minds The power to revive again in our minds

those ideas which, after imprinting, those ideas which, after imprinting, have disappeared, or have been as it have disappeared, or have been as it were laid aside out of sight. ... This is were laid aside out of sight. ... This is memory, which is as it were the memory, which is as it were the storehouse of our ideas” storehouse of our ideas”

►memory as the key to identitymemory as the key to identity

Modernity Modernity

►Memory becomes a problem for the Memory becomes a problem for the self self

►Wordsworth: ‘Tintern Abbey’ – the Wordsworth: ‘Tintern Abbey’ – the sheer difficulty of evoking orf rejoining sheer difficulty of evoking orf rejoining my past selfmy past self

►Romanticism: Memory disturbances Romanticism: Memory disturbances (grief, nostalgia, split minds) (grief, nostalgia, split minds)

►Revolution Revolution

Erinnerung vs GedächtnisErinnerung vs Gedächtnis

►Memory as interiorisation, Memory as interiorisation, accumulation of experienceaccumulation of experience

►Memory as a mechanical filing system, Memory as a mechanical filing system, an archive an archive

(José Arcadio Buendía’s ingenious (José Arcadio Buendía’s ingenious “memory machine” in “memory machine” in One Hundred One Hundred Years of SolitudeYears of Solitude))

► ““Theuth came to the king (Tamus) and Theuth came to the king (Tamus) and exhibited his arts... when it came to writing, exhibited his arts... when it came to writing, Theuth said: ‘This discipline, my King, will Theuth said: ‘This discipline, my King, will make the Egyptians wiser and will improve make the Egyptians wiser and will improve their memories: my invention is a recipe for their memories: my invention is a recipe for both memory and wisdom’. But the king said: both memory and wisdom’. But the king said: ‘‘......The fact is that this invention will produce The fact is that this invention will produce forgetfulness in the souls of those who have forgetfulness in the souls of those who have learned it because they will not need to learned it because they will not need to exercise their memories, being able to rely on exercise their memories, being able to rely on what is written, using the stimulus of external what is written, using the stimulus of external marks that are alien to themselves rather than, marks that are alien to themselves rather than, from within, their unaided powers to call things from within, their unaided powers to call things to mind. So it’s not a remedy for memory, but to mind. So it’s not a remedy for memory, but for reminding, that you have discovered. And for reminding, that you have discovered. And as for wisdom, you’re equipping your pupils as for wisdom, you’re equipping your pupils with only a semblance of it, not with truth. with only a semblance of it, not with truth. They will be men filled with the conceit of They will be men filled with the conceit of wisdom, not men of wisdom.”wisdom, not men of wisdom.” (Plato) (Plato)

Phenomenology and memoryPhenomenology and memory

►Henri BergsonHenri Bergson: motoric memory and : motoric memory and image-memoryimage-memory

►Repetition vs representation Repetition vs representation ►Motor memory becomes HABIT Motor memory becomes HABIT ► Image-memory: intrudes into the Image-memory: intrudes into the

present: present: ► if there is some discontinuity, if there is some discontinuity,

„immediately these darkened images „immediately these darkened images come forward into the full light” come forward into the full light”

Phenomenology and memoryPhenomenology and memory

►Maurice Merleau-Ponty Maurice Merleau-Ponty ► ““I am never quite at one with myself” “My I am never quite at one with myself” “My

hold on the past and the future is hold on the past and the future is precarious, and my possession of my own precarious, and my possession of my own time is always postponed until a stage when time is always postponed until a stage when I may fully understand it, yet this stage can I may fully understand it, yet this stage can never be reached, since it would be one never be reached, since it would be one more moment, bounded by the horizon of its more moment, bounded by the horizon of its future, and requiring in turn further future, and requiring in turn further developments in order to be understood.” developments in order to be understood.”

► Activity and passivity of the past Activity and passivity of the past ► ““Time arises from my relation to things” Time arises from my relation to things” ► the present, an „I can”the present, an „I can”► ““Memory is the irruption of other things in Memory is the irruption of other things in

us”us”► the arc of memory, of experiencethe arc of memory, of experience► ““It is through the body that we have access It is through the body that we have access

to the past” – earlier moments of bodily to the past” – earlier moments of bodily experience become the history of my current experience become the history of my current being in the world; time is sedimented on my being in the world; time is sedimented on my body (the lived body is a hollow in being, a body (the lived body is a hollow in being, a hollow where time is made) hollow where time is made)

► „„A past that has never been present”A past that has never been present”

Proust: Proust: A la recherche du temps A la recherche du temps

perduperdu ►““It is a labour in vain to attempt to evoke It is a labour in vain to attempt to evoke

our past: all the efforts of our intellect our past: all the efforts of our intellect must prove futile. The past is hidden must prove futile. The past is hidden somewhere outside the realm, beyond the somewhere outside the realm, beyond the reach of the intellect, in some material reach of the intellect, in some material object (in the sensation which that object (in the sensation which that material object will give us) of which we material object will give us) of which we have no inkling. And it depends on chance have no inkling. And it depends on chance whether or not we come upon this object whether or not we come upon this object before we die.” before we die.”

Proust/2Proust/2►„„petites madeleines” petites madeleines” ►““this old, dead moment which the this old, dead moment which the

magnetism of an identical moment has magnetism of an identical moment has travelled so far to importune, to disturb, to travelled so far to importune, to disturb, to raise up out of the very depths of my raise up out of the very depths of my being” being”

►““And suddenly, my memory revealed And suddenly, my memory revealed itself”itself”

►the entire forgotten chapter of his the entire forgotten chapter of his childhood miraculously reemerges, “taking childhood miraculously reemerges, “taking shape and solidity, sprang into being, town shape and solidity, sprang into being, town and gardesn alike, from my cup of tea” and gardesn alike, from my cup of tea”

►the mystique of memorythe mystique of memory

Jean-Paul SartreJean-Paul Sartre

►there has to be a perspective, a there has to be a perspective, a subject for a past to exist (objects subject for a past to exist (objects have no past); the past is produced as have no past); the past is produced as the past of this present the past of this present

►One cannot ʻhave’ a past in the sense One cannot ʻhave’ a past in the sense in which I have a car: the past is me in which I have a car: the past is me

►““The past is what I have to be” The past is what I have to be” ►Sich erinnern, se souvenir, se recordar Sich erinnern, se souvenir, se recordar

Psychoanalysis and memoryPsychoanalysis and memory

►Hysteria: “patients suffer from Hysteria: “patients suffer from remininscences”remininscences”

►Symptoms: memory symbols Symptoms: memory symbols ErinnerungssymboleErinnerungssymbole

►The past invades the present The past invades the present ►Hypnosis vs. talking cure Hypnosis vs. talking cure

Psychoanalysis and memory Psychoanalysis and memory problemsproblems

►(1) Construction of the past – (1) Construction of the past – ►(2) archaeological work; alien internal (2) archaeological work; alien internal

images (dreams, symptoms)images (dreams, symptoms)►(3) remembering is dialogic (3) remembering is dialogic ►(4) transference: (4) transference:

remembering/repetitionremembering/repetition►(5) the finding of an object is always a (5) the finding of an object is always a

refinding (emotional template) refinding (emotional template) ►(6) The temporality of trauma – (6) The temporality of trauma –

Nachträglichkeit Nachträglichkeit

Psychoanalysis and memory Psychoanalysis and memory problemsproblems

►(7) reinterpretation of forgetting (7) reinterpretation of forgetting ►Harald Weinrich: “With Freud, Harald Weinrich: “With Freud,

forgetting lost its innocence” forgetting lost its innocence” ►Cui prodest? Cui prodest? ►screen memory (Deckerinnerung) screen memory (Deckerinnerung)

20th century20th century

►Memory: an obsession Memory: an obsession ►(1) Modernity seen as a memory crisis(1) Modernity seen as a memory crisis►(2) pervades politics, everyday life, (2) pervades politics, everyday life,

popular culture popular culture ►(3) emphasis on malfunctionings, (3) emphasis on malfunctionings,

memory disorders (amnesia, trauma, memory disorders (amnesia, trauma, nostalgia) nostalgia)

►(4) the idea of collective/cultural (4) the idea of collective/cultural memorymemory

Pierre Nora: Lieux de mémoire (Sites of Pierre Nora: Lieux de mémoire (Sites of memory) memory)

► ““The acceleration of history: let us try to gauge the The acceleration of history: let us try to gauge the significance, beyond metaphor, of this phrase. An significance, beyond metaphor, of this phrase. An increasingly rapid slippage of the present into a increasingly rapid slippage of the present into a historical past that is gone for good, a general historical past that is gone for good, a general perception that anything and everthing may disappear perception that anything and everthing may disappear – these indicate a rupture of equilibrium. The remnants – these indicate a rupture of equilibrium. The remnants of experience still lived in the warm tradition, in the of experience still lived in the warm tradition, in the silence of custom, in the repetition of the ancestral, silence of custom, in the repetition of the ancestral, have been displaced under a fundamentally historical have been displaced under a fundamentally historical sensibility. ... We speak so much of memory because sensibility. ... We speak so much of memory because there is so little of it. Our interest in there is so little of it. Our interest in lieux de mémoirelieux de mémoire where memory crystallizes and secretes itself has where memory crystallizes and secretes itself has occurred at a particular historical moment, a turning occurred at a particular historical moment, a turning point where consciousness of a break with the past is point where consciousness of a break with the past is bound up with the sense that memory has been torn – bound up with the sense that memory has been torn – but torn in such a way as to pose the problem of the but torn in such a way as to pose the problem of the embodiment of memory in certain sites where a sense embodiment of memory in certain sites where a sense of historical continuity exists. There are of historical continuity exists. There are lieux de lieux de mémoiremémoire, sites of memory, because there are no , sites of memory, because there are no longer longer milieux de mémoiremilieux de mémoire, real enviroments of , real enviroments of memory” memory”

Memory vs historyMemory vs history

Nora: “real memory – social and unviolated, Nora: “real memory – social and unviolated, exemplified in but also retained as the exemplified in but also retained as the secret of so-called primitive or archaic secret of so-called primitive or archaic societies” contrasted to HISTORY: the way societies” contrasted to HISTORY: the way „our hopelessly forgetful modern „our hopelessly forgetful modern societries, propelled by change, organise societries, propelled by change, organise the past”the past”

““History is suspicious of memory and its History is suspicious of memory and its true mission is to suppress and destroy it” true mission is to suppress and destroy it”

Malfunctionings of memoryMalfunctionings of memory

► the imperative to remember (an ethics of the imperative to remember (an ethics of remembering) and the disinclination to remembering) and the disinclination to remember remember

► Richard Terdiman:Richard Terdiman:► FORGETTTING: things slip away FORGETTTING: things slip away ► HYPERMNESIA: too much to remember + a HYPERMNESIA: too much to remember + a

perverse persistence of recollection perverse persistence of recollection ► Too little memory – too much memory Too little memory – too much memory ► Baudelaire: ‘I have more memories than if I Baudelaire: ‘I have more memories than if I

were a thousand years old’ were a thousand years old’

‘‘too much memory’too much memory’

►Modern passion for souvenirs Modern passion for souvenirs ►““The souvenir [Andenken], the The souvenir [Andenken], the

withered form of experience, is the withered form of experience, is the complement of the Erlebnis [fully complement of the Erlebnis [fully realized experience]. In it is deposited realized experience]. In it is deposited the increasing self-alienation of the the increasing self-alienation of the person who inventories his past as person who inventories his past as dead possessions” (Walter Benjamin) dead possessions” (Walter Benjamin)

WW1 and modern memoryWW1 and modern memory►mourning mourning ► Jay Winter: search for an appropriate Jay Winter: search for an appropriate

language of loss; testing traditional languages language of loss; testing traditional languages of loss (eg. Christian vocabularies and images) of loss (eg. Christian vocabularies and images)

► the attempt to account for, to record, the attempt to account for, to record, archivise, testify to the slaughter of archivise, testify to the slaughter of unprecedented scale, unprecedented scale,

► the contrary desire to forget the contrary desire to forget ► nostalgia for the prelapsarian war of nostalgia for the prelapsarian war of

Edwardian England, Edwardian England, ► amnesia, the inability or refusal to remember amnesia, the inability or refusal to remember

(the price of resuming civilised existence). (the price of resuming civilised existence). ► a catastrophe, a disaster that is also a a catastrophe, a disaster that is also a

mnemonic catastrophe, causing an absolute mnemonic catastrophe, causing an absolute separation from the past separation from the past

►the cultural and mnemonic emblem of the cultural and mnemonic emblem of the Great War: the shell-shocked the Great War: the shell-shocked soldiersoldier

►Amnesiac yet a memory figure Amnesiac yet a memory figure ►Mr Squirrel in W. G. Sebald’s Mr Squirrel in W. G. Sebald’s The Rings The Rings

of Saturnof Saturn ►Great War and Holocaust memory Great War and Holocaust memory

Memory disorders as cultural Memory disorders as cultural metaphorsmetaphors

►mourning : mourning the death or absence mourning : mourning the death or absence (Pascal) of God, and of the Greek gods (Pascal) of God, and of the Greek gods (Nietzsche: our churches are tombs, (Nietzsche: our churches are tombs, monuments of God)monuments of God)

►melancholia (Ross Chambers, Wendy Wheeler, melancholia (Ross Chambers, Wendy Wheeler, Walter Benjamin: secularisation came too earlyWalter Benjamin: secularisation came too early

► amnesia (Andreas Huyssen: culture of amnesia) amnesia (Andreas Huyssen: culture of amnesia) ► nostalgia (for the lost age of innocence) nostalgia (for the lost age of innocence) ► spectrality (J-M Rabaté, P. Osborne) spectrality (J-M Rabaté, P. Osborne) ► trauma (confronted with an experience that we trauma (confronted with an experience that we

cannot comprehend) cannot comprehend)

Collective memoryCollective memory

►Ritual Ritual ►Athens birth of Erichthonius Athens birth of Erichthonius ►Daughters of Cecrops / disobedience Daughters of Cecrops / disobedience ►2 little girls: 2 little girls: Hersephoroi (bearers of Hersephoroi (bearers of

dew) Arrhephoroi (bearers of thedew) Arrhephoroi (bearers of the unspeakableunspeakable

►Enactment of a mysteryEnactment of a mystery

Ritual as collective memoryRitual as collective memory

► Jan AssmannJan Assmann►repetition and representationrepetition and representation►wriwritingting:: shifts to representation, from shifts to representation, from

“ritual coherence” to “textual “ritual coherence” to “textual coherence” coherence”

►Repetition – representation Repetition – representation ► Imitation – interpretation Imitation – interpretation ►Liturgy – hermeneutics Liturgy – hermeneutics

Collective memoryCollective memory

►Avishai Margalit:Avishai Margalit:The Ethics of MemoryThe Ethics of Memory common memory vs shared memory common memory vs shared memory

►Common memory: simply an aggregate Common memory: simply an aggregate ►Shared memory: shared, discussed; Shared memory: shared, discussed;

comes into existence through comes into existence through communication; communication;

►built of the divisbuilt of the divisiion of thon of thee labour of labour of memory memory

Maurice Halbwachs: Maurice Halbwachs: Les cadres sociaux Les cadres sociaux de la mémoirede la mémoire ( (On Collective MemoryOn Collective Memory) )

►All memories are individual and All memories are individual and collective at the same timecollective at the same time

►the individual mind is necessarily the individual mind is necessarily imbued with frameworks common to imbued with frameworks common to their community. their community.

► It is in the community that we acquire, It is in the community that we acquire, recall, recognize and localize our recall, recognize and localize our memoriesmemories

Memorial placesMemorial places

►Halbwachs: Halbwachs: sacred placessacred places►Aleida Assmann: Gedänk(en)ort Aleida Assmann: Gedänk(en)ort ►Connection not with god but with the Connection not with god but with the

past (making the past transcendent)past (making the past transcendent)►FFour types: tomb, ruin, monument, our types: tomb, ruin, monument,

traumatic placetraumatic place

Orwell: Orwell: Nineteen Eighty-FourNineteen Eighty-Four

►Winston Smith buying a diaryWinston Smith buying a diary► ‘‘Nothing remained of his childhood Nothing remained of his childhood

except a series of bright-lit tableaux except a series of bright-lit tableaux occurring against no background and occurring against no background and mostly unintelligible’mostly unintelligible’

►Visit to the prolesVisit to the proles► ‘‘The old man’s memory was nothing The old man’s memory was nothing

but a rubbish-heap of details’but a rubbish-heap of details’

‘‘transformation of memory into transformation of memory into catastrophe’ (Terdiman)catastrophe’ (Terdiman)

Holocaust memory as prototypeHolocaust memory as prototypeDifficulties of remembering + political and Difficulties of remembering + political and

ethical stakes (witnessing, testimony)ethical stakes (witnessing, testimony)Psychoanalytic analogies: Psychoanalytic analogies: - the past is always reconstructed - the past is always reconstructed Halbwachs: “the past is not preserved but is Halbwachs: “the past is not preserved but is

reconstructed on the basis of the reconstructed on the basis of the present”present”

- Internal politics of remembering - Internal politics of remembering (censorship, repression, disguise etc) (censorship, repression, disguise etc)

Politics and ethics of memoryPolitics and ethics of memory

► counter-memory (Foucault) resistance against counter-memory (Foucault) resistance against the official versions of historical continuity the official versions of historical continuity

► Public spaces, monuments, rituals of Public spaces, monuments, rituals of commemoration (creation of collective commemoration (creation of collective identity) identity)

► Aleida Assmann Aleida Assmann ► This pillar knows things that I don’t remember This pillar knows things that I don’t remember

(W. Sebald 237) (W. Sebald 237) ► Our duty to remember Our duty to remember ► Silenced, erased histories, memories Silenced, erased histories, memories

Memory, catastrophe, Memory, catastrophe, traumatrauma

►Authenticity: Authenticity: ►HISTORY HISTORY ►MEMORY MEMORY ►TRAUMA TRAUMA

Postmemory (Marianna Postmemory (Marianna Hirsch)Hirsch)

►Familial memory Familial memory ►Art Spiegelman: Art Spiegelman: MausMaus

Eperjesi Ágnes: Eperjesi Ágnes: Family AlbumFamily Album

EperjesiEperjesi

EperjesiEperjesi

Postmodern memory, heritage, Postmodern memory, heritage, retroretro

►Fredric Jameson: past flattened into a Fredric Jameson: past flattened into a collection of styles collection of styles

►Heritage: salvaging the past and Heritage: salvaging the past and staging it as a visitable experience. staging it as a visitable experience. (Bella Dicks) (Bella Dicks)