History And Memory Analysis

If a meaningful understanding of the past is to be gained, the resources of both history and memory must be used.

History is the factual, objective recording of events through documents, archives, records, artefacts and physical evidence whereas memory is the recollection of individuals of their personal experience and sequence of events however, adding the human element to the situation or experience. However, history and memory sometimes contrast with each other but most importantly they need to complement each other; without one, the stories of events that shape human experience are incomplete. While history offer the factual, documented record of events. Memory is also necessary to complete the story but at the same time enabling the …show more content…
The text allows us to accompany baker on what is at the time a difficult personal journey. Baker also refers throughout the text to the difficulties he has faced being a historian and writing the family history, especially for a family especially his family that has had traumatic and catastrophic events happened to them. The journey for baker is troubled not only with the methodological problems. Baker was getting frustrated due to the inconsistencies between the documented history and the history told by his parents. Baker also suffered from personal problems of his own through the journey of his parent’s memory. Baker cannot totally distance his emotional turmoil and tensions that are brought to the surface by his parent’s memories and recounts of their experiences. The historian strives for accuracy; this is often dissatisfied by the personal memories of his parents. His parent’s recollections of events that occurred are not in chronological order. Baker is attempting to piece together their past by trying to trigger significant events helping baker linking up their recollections with documented evidence. Both his parents share their memories. For example baker finds documented events of the “aktion” which separated him from his younger brother and from their mother and sisters forever. Baker’s father, Yossl, cannot recall the date but can recall the weather of that day. He stated that it was cold. But however his son …show more content…
The son of holocaust survivors, Baker is aware that his own experiences are very different to those of his parent’s, and sets out to discover their hidden stories. However, Baker as the historian is unable to rely on his parents recollections and needs documented evidence to validate their recollections of the past. As Baker’s parent’s stories unfold he finds himself on a journey through memory. With Baker unfolding his parents stories are taking him on a journey which is helping him discover himself. History is the factual, objective recording of events through documents, archives, records, artefacts and physical evidence whereas memory is the recollection of individuals of their personal experience and sequence of events however, adding the human element to the situation or experience. However, history and memory sometimes contrast with each other but most importantly they need to complement each other; without one, the stories of events that shape human experience are incomplete. While history offer the factual, documented record of events. Memory is also necessary to complete the story but at the same time enabling the human element of the story as written throughout the