The Power and Value of Memory

Jacob’s experience of being haunted by memory defines virtually every element of the novel – plot, story, theme, imagery, relationships. His seeking relief from the pain and presence of his memories defines the events of the plot, specifically in terms of his visit to the clinic for counseling. This, in turn, shapes and defines his story, or journey of transformation – specifically, his movement from a place of wanting to reject memory to a place of accepting and welcoming it.

At the same time, the novel clearly creates the sense that Jacob’s present day life, decades after the epidemic decimated his circle of friends and his community, is haunted by what he remembers of the many individual deaths to which he was a witness. One particularly vivid way in which the novel accomplishes this is the confrontation between Jacob and the...