Abstract
Memory has always been a topic for discussion when a creative piece is analysed. The role it plays is an inexhaustive list sans repetition. That is one of the reasons that we find in every literary work memory is present either as a theme or motif. This paper gives a brief over view of “memory”, what constitutes memory, how external object contribute to bring to the fore front the memories that lie submerged in the unconscious mind. The focus of this paper is on the use of memory by the American novelist Anne Tyler in her works with special reference to three novels, Ladder of Years, Back when we were Grownups, and Digging to America. Tyler constantly uses sounds, smells, pictures, dreams and videos to make her bring back memories which sometimes are pleasant and sometimes painful. Memories help us to move on with life.
Keywords: Memory, Psyche, Alien
Memory is the ability to remember and retain the happenings of the past in the present as well as in the future. It can be rightly called as the backup for all our life’s experience irrespective of whether the experience is good or bad. Memory aids in recording and recollecting of events. It is an abstract concept and is often very elusive. Memory has played a key role in compilation of history in the past long before writing evolved. The uniqueness of memory is that it lays dormant and gets activated when the need arises. It is universal and inherent in all living creatures.
The present study involves an attempt to understand how Anne Tyler, an American novelist, uses memory as a tool to establish the idiosyncratic nature of her characters. Karen L. Levenback opines: “All the novels of Anne Tyler are about memory or more particularly, the act of remembering…and then coming to terms with individual and personal memories that may interfere with the business of living” (77).
In Ladder of Years, Delia’s memory of her recently deceased father cripples her common sense. She grows up in the care of her older sisters and her father; she denies having any remembrance of her mother. Memories of her father is very distinctive in Delia’s mind. The vacation to the Delaware Beach, reminds her of the fun she had with her father in her childhood.
In the novel Back when we were Grownups, Rebecca, the protagonist dreams of “traveling on a train with her teenaged son. Never mind that she had no son” (21BG). This dream makes her contemplate whether she had made a wrong turn in the fork of her life.
In Digging to America, Tyler delves in showing that external forces and the environment play a vital role in memory retention. Waiting in the airport lounge for the arrival of their adopted child from Korea brings about a connection between the Bitsy and Brad Donaldson (American) and Ziba and Sami Yazdan (Iranian) families.
A discussion of the three novels of Anne Tyler has provided a deep understanding of memory and its impact on the human psyche. Happy experiences need to be cherished in the memory as it creates positive vibrations and help in overcoming difficult times like the present. Bad memories are best forgotten by clicking the refresh button.
Works Cited
Primary Source:
- Tyler, Anne. Back When We were Grownups. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 2001 (BG)
- Tyler, Anne. Digging to America. Alfred A. Knopf, New York. 2006 (DA)
- Tyler, Anne. Ladder of Years. Alfred A. Knopf, New York. 1995 (LY)
Secondary Sources:
- Karen l. Levenback: Functions of (Picturing) Memory, Anne Tyler as a Novelist, Ed. Dale Salwak, 1994
- Russel, Betrand. The Problems of Philosophy. Surjeeth Publication New Delhi, 2014