Have you ever wondered whether you should trust your memories?
In Orwell’s 1984, Winston muses silently about the “mutable” nature of the past – a past the party destroys and constructs with fanatical devotion. Specifically, he wonders whether one can trust what one believes to be true when no physical records exist to verify one’s memories.
Your recollections fade over time, and without that verification – the reminder of a touch, the recurrence of an event, a story told to you again – they simply vanish.
Explore this concept in at least 3 paragraphs. Include details about the following within your essay.
- What do you remember that defines you?
- What do you wish you could remember that’s slipping away or already forgotten outright?
- What are you most terrified you’ll forget?
The greatest hazard of all – losing one’s self – can occur very quietly in the world, as if it were nothing at all. No other loss can occur so quietly; any other loss – an arm, a leg, five dollars, a wife, etc. – is sure to be noticed.
— Søren Kierkegaard
Journal Responses: Guidelines
Unless otherwise directed, your tone may be casual, rather than formal. Apply your short response rubric/checklist.
- Incorporate the prompt in your response.
- Respond to all parts of the prompt (watch for multi-part questions or multiple sentences).
- Use full, grammatically-correct sentences and coherent paragraphs.