Ono's Selective Memory

The mind is a dangerous domain, and memories are its minions. I find myself in trouble almost everyday with my selective memory. Personally my memories are always getting me in trouble. It always gets worse the older the memory is. It seems that my memories no longer represent what happened, but what I had wanted to happen.

 Memories swirl and shift through my mind everyday. These memories started as finite experiences fresh, clear, precise, and solid. However, as time passes…they start to break down.The mind changes and shifts things around. Memories are like clouds, always shifting and changing depending on the conditions of the human mind.

           Ono, the main character in the book, An Artist of the Floating World written by, Kazuo Ishiguro, is no different. It seems thus far throughout the story that he has certain memories that may not be what truly happened. Perhaps his mind has started to pick and choose among his memories. Presenting Ono with memories changed to fit his perspective or situation.

 One such occurrence in the book is when Ono talks about a distant memory; a memory where he had defended a friend’s honor. During his re-account of the event he talks himself up. He shares that he was bold and well spoken. Yet, did the actual event unfold in this fashion? After the recollection of the memory he comments, “Of course, this is all a matter of many years ago now and I cannot vouch that those were my exact words that morning.” (pg. 69) So, Ono himself concedes that perhaps he has shaped his memory. It appears that he no longer can account the event in its entirety. Instead he has begun to share his memories, and then try to justify them.  

Many of Ono’s memories are about his status in his community. He is remembering occurrences were people showed him respect. However, as the reader how can we be sure these memories are accurate?

We Can’t.

Memory is a very selective, like clouds they disperse and come together based on what we what to remember. Ono may be struggling to attain some reassurance from his memories; so they are slowly twisted into what his mind wants.

It’s no different for me. It strikes me that when I am recounting a story, every time I tell it, I look better and better. Not only that, but my past experiences and beliefs begin to run interference. Perhaps, Ono’s mind is twisting his memories to make himself look better. Or perhaps his mind is subconsciously, protecting Ono from some hidden truth. Perhaps he is remembering good memories to avoid remembering the bad.

James Matthew Barries, a well known Scottish novelist, once shared that, “God gave us memory to so that we might have roses in December.” However, it’s not simply that we will be able to remember the good memories. It’s that in the future our minds will have changed our memories so that in “December” they will all be good.