This novel confronts the theme of memory quite differently than the others we’ve previously read. Most of the texts I’d read before this speak from a point of memory, past-tense, and experience, whereas Perec approached memories that weren’t there. It brought an alternate perspective of how some have the privilege of accessing and reflecting on such memories, and others not so much – for various reasons. An assumption I made based on the lack of childhood memories was that it was due to trauma, mainly because of the war. Many can dissociate from a time in their life when it’s tied to some sort of trauma, war being a likely trigger.
Although I haven’t necessarily lost my sense of childhood memories, I do relate to how the past can become twisted or jumbled up in one’s mind. Thinking about certain times in my life prove to be either recounted as differently than they were or just completely missing from my mind. However, I can’t seem to pinpoint when I lost the clarity or how it was lost. Having this self-reflection period made me connect with the novel more, it’s nice when a text can make you think.
Something that I question though, is the title. Maybe it’s a play into the whole loss-of-memory theme, but it seems like Perec is unsure of it. Just the presence of “or” being there, like it’s up for debate or something. Then again, it could be to do with the double story. Where one is intertwining with the other, so there’s two titles combined. It would be interesting to know whether it was purposeful or out of hesitance.
A connection that was though-provoking between the two stories was the island and the Holocaust. The fact that the narrator could make this connection, unless it was unintentional, shows me that there is some recollection there. With the violent games and the concentration camps. Though it could be that it just happens to correlate, it seems more like it was thought out.
Having that the narrator appears to have lost some parts of their childhood, assuming it’s due to trauma from the Holocaust, I wonder how common it is for for others who survived it as well. I may have to do some research on that. In that I will ask, do you feel like you know your childhood well, and why? Even more so, for the parts you may not remember, is it due to trauma or why do you think those parts are missing?
Hi!
I really liked your analysis on memory and the major themes of the novel. To answer your question, I feel like compared to others I don’t know that much. For me its not trauma, but more so that I just moved around so much when I was younger that I don’t remember much about my earlier life other than how I related to my physical environments. As such, I related a lot to the whole ‘imagination vs memory’ aspect of this novel!
“Perec is unsure of it. Just the presence of “or” being there, like it’s up for debate or something.”
Adding to what you raise may also imply that you can choose whether to read one story or the other or that they are opposites.
“Then again, it could be to do with the double story. Where one is intertwining with the other, so there’s two titles combined.”
How do you think both stories are related?
Hi Raymon, I enjoyed reading your blogpost. I like the connection you make with the title. It got me thinking more about how the author may possibly be in uncertainty when it comes to confronting the past and how that might relate to what he has to say. I’m also curious if the author was making this novel an intentional endeavor focused on some goal or whether it was just a natural occurrence of his own views.