The Deep Importance of Preserving Memories

The Deep Importance of Preserving Memories

This theme is by far the strongest throughout the novel; each characters’ drive to protect his or her memories plays out much in the same way as a Darwinian survival scenario might, with each individual fighting to preserve their memories in any way they deem necessary. For example, Elizabeth, resorts to violence. She transforms from a loyal friend to Sylvia into Sylvia’s attacker, and she does this in the name of keeping her memories safe and private. Elizabeth is comforted by her close friendship with Sylvia, but the moment she suspects that her childhood memories are being taken over by her cellmate is the moment Elizabeth concludes that the only way to protect her memories is to stab Sylvia (67). In this section, she shares the concept that she feels as though she, “Has something...