Memory and Imagination

Patricia Hampl talks of how the past affects us: “the radiance of the past-it draws me back to it. Not that the past is beautiful…” (36). This reminded me strongly of The Great Gatsby: the final lines, where nick talks of being borne back ceaselessly into the past regardless of how we try to fight against the current. I also remember a quote concerning how the past reaches out its shadowy claws to draw us back to it. Both of these pieces talk about the importance of the past and of our memory of that past. While I found it harder to connect with Hampl’s view of memoir, I did react quite strongly to the ideas presented in The Great Gatsby, which are similar but communicated in a very different manner. I do recognize the importance of the past in our lives, and I recognize the futility of attempting to escape it. Our past shapes who we are and even if individual memories disappear, we will always be shaped by the experiences we have had. Gatsby’s tale has affected my view of the world profoundly, because I see some of myself in both Gatsby and Nick, and I can see the dangers of following the paths they took.