Exploring Memory Inhibition Techniques in Tan Twan Eng's The Garden of Evening Mists and Kazuo Ishiguro's The Remains of the Day

Abstract

This paper offers a psychoanalytical reading of the human memory’s dilemma as portrayed by Tan Twan Eng in The Garden of Evening Mists (2011) and Kazuo Ishiguro in The Remains of the Day (1989). Its objective is to analyze the role of memory in shaping the fragmented self, particularly in the context of the trauma from the world wars, employing a psychoanalytical perspective demonstrated through Michael Anderson’s memory inhibition techniques and Carl Jung’s theories on active imagination, which prioritize the unconscious mind. The study applies two methods of selective memory to the protagonists’ behaviors: retrieval-induced forgetting in Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day and the think/no-think paradigms in Eng’s The Garden of Evening Mists. These approaches aim to explore the role of intention in these inhibition processes and investigate whether these experiences yield positive or negative outcomes. Through a close analysis of the main characters’ repressed memories, the study argues that the protagonists employ selective memory techniques differently. In The Garden of Evening Mists, intentional and positive utilization of these techniques helps overcome the horrors of war. Conversely, in The Remains of the Day, unintentional and negative application enhances the illusion of falsely representing oneself. This study’s primary contribution lies in exploring the mechanisms underlying the control of postcolonial/imperial traumatic memories. Additionally, it delves into the significance of the natural world in the protagonists’ healing and recovery revealing that gardens serve as a metaphor for recovery due to their profound impacts.