Epochal Amnesia in Literature & Literary Theory

Epochal Amnesia: Etymology, Meanings and Concept

Etymology/Term:

The term “epochal amnesia” combines “epochal,” referring to a significant period in history, and “amnesia,” denoting a loss or forgetfulness. Coined to describe a phenomenon in societal memory, epochal amnesia points to a collective forgetting or neglect of pivotal historical events or eras that have shaped a culture or civilization.

Meanings and Concept:

• Selective Historical Memory: Epochal amnesia involves the selective remembrance of historical events, where certain transformative periods are overshadowed or intentionally disregarded in the collective consciousness.
• Cultural Oversights: This concept highlights instances where societies overlook the impact of specific epochs, leading to a distorted understanding of cultural, political, or social developments.
• Influence on Identity: Epochal amnesia can influence a society’s self-perception and identity formation, as gaps in historical awareness may result in a skewed understanding of the factors that have contributed to its current state.
• Potential Consequences: The concept suggests that a lack of awareness about certain epochs may lead to a repetition of mistakes or a failure to learn from past successes, hindering societal progress and understanding.

Epochal amnesia underscores the importance of acknowledging and understanding the entirety of historical narratives to foster a comprehensive and informed societal memory.

Epochal Amnesia: Definition of a Theoretical Term

Epochal amnesia, as a theoretical term, refers to the collective forgetfulness or selective memory of significant historical epochs within a society. It describes a phenomenon where pivotal events or transformative periods are overlooked or intentionally neglected in the collective consciousness, leading to a distorted understanding of the cultural, political, or social factors that have shaped a civilization. This concept highlights the potential consequences of such forgetfulness, emphasizing the importance of acknowledging and learning from all aspects of historical narratives for a comprehensive understanding of societal development.

Epochal Amnesia: Theorists, Works and Arguments

Theorists	Works and Arguments
Walter Benjamin	– Benjamin’s Theses on the Philosophy of History discusses the potential for historical amnesia and the importance of critically engaging with the past to avoid repeating mistakes.
Michel Foucault	– Foucault’s works, such as The Archaeology of Knowledge, explore how knowledge is produced and maintained, shedding light on the mechanisms that contribute to selective historical memory.
Pierre Nora	– Nora’s concept of places of memory in Realms of Memory addresses the idea of historical sites as a means to counteract epochal amnesia and preserve collective memory.
Jacques Derrida	– Derrida’s deconstructive approach in Archive Fever challenges the stability of historical archives, raising questions about the reliability and biases inherent in the construction of historical narratives.
Edward Said	– Said’s Orientalism critiques how Western cultures have constructed biased narratives about the East, contributing to epochal amnesia regarding the historical experiences of non-Western societies.
Eric Hobsbawm	– Hobsbawm’s Nations and Nationalism since 1780 explores the invention and manipulation of historical traditions to shape national identities, contributing to the phenomenon of epochal amnesia.

Epochal Amnesia: Major Characteristics

1. Selective Forgetting:
   • Epochal amnesia involves the intentional or unintentional neglect of certain historical epochs, resulting in a biased emphasis on specific events or periods while overlooking others.
2. Cultural Oversights:
   • This concept highlights instances where societies fail to recognize or adequately acknowledge the significance of particular epochs, leading to incomplete or distorted narratives of cultural, political, and social developments.
3. Impact on Identity Formation:
   • Epochal amnesia influences how societies perceive their own identity, as gaps in historical awareness may contribute to a skewed understanding of the factors that have shaped their cultural, political, and social landscapes.
4. Historical Distortion:
   • The phenomenon often leads to a distortion of historical realities, as the neglect of certain epochs can result in a biased interpretation of past events and their impact on contemporary societies.
5. Consequences for Learning:
   • The selective nature of epochal amnesia hinders the ability to draw comprehensive lessons from history, potentially leading to a repetition of mistakes or a failure to learn from past successes.
6. Cyclical Patterns:
   • In cases of epochal amnesia, societies may find themselves trapped in cyclical patterns of behavior, as they overlook the transformative lessons of particular epochs and fail to address underlying issues.
7. Cultural Hegemony:
   • The phenomenon may be perpetuated by cultural hegemony, where dominant narratives shape historical memory and marginalize alternative perspectives, contributing to the selective remembrance of certain epochs.
8. Influence on Decision-Making:
   • Epochal amnesia can impact decision-making processes, as policymakers and societies may make choices without a comprehensive understanding of historical contexts, potentially leading to uninformed or misguided actions.
9. Memory Construction:
   • The concept underscores the constructed nature of historical memory, emphasizing how societal narratives are actively shaped and curated, contributing to the phenomenon of remembering some epochs while forgetting others.
10. Global and Local Dynamics:
    • Epochal amnesia can manifest at both global and local levels, influencing how nations, communities, and individuals engage with their own histories and the histories of others.

These characteristics collectively contribute to an understanding of epochal amnesia as a complex phenomenon that shapes societal perspectives on the past and influences present-day attitudes and behaviors.

Epochal Amnesia: Relevance in Literary Theories

Literary Theory	Relevance to Epochal Amnesia
Postcolonialism	Examines the impact of colonial history on societies, highlighting how epochal amnesia may contribute to a skewed understanding of colonial legacies and the erasure of indigenous histories.
Historiographic Metafiction	Challenges traditional historical narratives, addressing how epochal amnesia may influence the construction of fictional histories and the blurring of fact and fiction in literary representations of the past.
Cultural Memory Studies	Investigates how societies remember and forget certain events, providing insights into how epochal amnesia may shape cultural memory, impacting the creation of collective narratives and identities.
Critical Regionalism	Explores the dynamics between local and global histories, considering how amnesia may affect the representation of regional histories within broader cultural and literary contexts.
Trauma Theory	Examines the effects of historical trauma on collective memory, shedding light on how epochal amnesia may contribute to the suppression or distortion of traumatic events within literary representations.

These literary theories offer diverse perspectives on how epochal amnesia influences the construction, interpretation, and representation of history in literature. They help in understanding how the selective remembrance and forgetting of historical epochs impact literary narratives and contribute to broader discussions on memory, identity, and cultural representation.

Epochal Amnesia: Application in Critiques

1. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez:
   • Application: Explore how the novel depicts the Buendía family’s history in Macondo, highlighting moments where certain pivotal events or epochs are overlooked or forgotten within the narrative. Analyze the consequences of this selective memory on the characters’ understanding of their identity and the cyclical nature of historical patterns in the story.
2. The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro:
   • Application: Examine how the novel incorporates the concept of collective forgetfulness within a post-Arthurian Britain, focusing on the characters’ struggles to remember their shared history. Analyze the impact of epochal amnesia on societal relationships and the construction of a distorted narrative of the past.
3. Blindness by Jose Saramago:
   • Application: Explore how the novel addresses societal responses to a sudden epidemic of blindness, emphasizing moments where characters and society collectively forget or overlook crucial aspects of their previous way of life. Analyze the implications of this amnesia on social structures, power dynamics, and the characters’ resilience.
4. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood:
   • Application: Investigate how the dystopian society in the novel selectively remembers and forgets certain historical events, contributing to the oppression of women. Examine the consequences of this controlled historical narrative on the characters’ agency, identity, and resistance within the oppressive regime.

Epochal Amnesia: Relevant Terms

Theoretical Term	Brief Description
Cultural Memory Loss	Collective forgetting or neglect of cultural and historical events within a society.
Historical Revisionism	The deliberate reinterpretation or rewriting of historical narratives to serve specific agendas.
Selective History	The tendency to focus on and remember certain aspects of history while neglecting others.
Memory Politics	The use and manipulation of historical narratives for political purposes, shaping collective memory.
Collective Forgetting	Shared neglect or suppression of particular historical events, leading to gaps in societal memory.
Cultural Amnesia	A broader concept encompassing forgetfulness or neglect of cultural, historical, and intellectual achievements.
Narrative Silence	Absence or intentional omission of specific historical details within storytelling or discourse.
Social Erasure	The removal or marginalization of certain historical elements, often due to cultural or political influences.
Memory Construction	The active process of creating and shaping collective memories, influencing perceptions of the past.
Amnesic Narratives	Narratives characterized by forgetfulness or a lack of acknowledgment of significant historical events.

Epochal Amnesia: Suggested Readings

1. Atwood, Margaret. The Handmaid’s Tale. Anchor Books, 1998.
2. Benjamin, Walter. Illuminations. Edited by Hannah Arendt, Schocken Books, 1968.
3. Derrida, Jacques. Archive Fever: A Freudian Impression. University of Chicago Press, 1996.
4. Foucault, Michel. The Archaeology of Knowledge. Routledge, 2002.
5. Hobsbawm, Eric J. Nations and Nationalism since 1780: Programme, Myth, Reality. Cambridge University Press, 1990.
6. Ishiguro, Kazuo. The Buried Giant. Vintage, 2016.
7. Marquez, Gabriel Garcia. One Hundred Years of Solitude. Harper & Row, 1970.
8. Nora, Pierre. Realms of Memory: Rethinking the French Past. Edited by Lawrence D. Kritzman, Columbia University Press, 1996.
9. Said, Edward. Orientalism. Vintage Books, 1979.
10. Saramago, Jose. Blindness. Harcourt Brace, 1997.