Our damnable memory is a sieve. It wants to survive. And survival is only possible through forgetfulness

Our damnable memory is a sieve. It wants to survive. And survival is only possible through forgetfulness

Erich Maria Remarque, the renowned German author of the classic anti-war novel "All Quiet on the Western Front," understood the complexities of memory and forgetfulness all too well. In his works, Remarque often explored the devastating effects of war on the human psyche, highlighting the ways in which traumatic memories can haunt individuals long after the physical battles have ended.

The quote "Our damnable memory is a sieve. It wants to survive. And survival is only possible through forgetfulness" speaks to the inherent struggle of the human mind to cope with the weight of past experiences. Remarque's characters, like Paul Baumer in "All Quiet on the Western Front," grapple with the memories of violence, loss, and suffering that they have witnessed on the battlefield. These memories threaten to consume them, to overwhelm their sense of self and their ability to move forward in life.

For Remarque, forgetfulness becomes a necessary defense mechanism against the relentless onslaught of traumatic memories. In order to survive, his characters must learn to selectively forget, to push aside the horrors of war in order to find some semblance of peace and normalcy in their lives. This act of forgetting is not a sign of weakness, but rather a survival strategy, a way to protect the fragile human spirit from being crushed under the weight of unbearable memories.

However, Remarque also acknowledges the limitations of forgetfulness. The quote suggests that memory is a sieve, a porous vessel that cannot hold onto every detail of the past. Some memories slip through the cracks, while others linger, haunting the mind and shaping the present. In this way, forgetfulness is not a perfect solution, but rather a temporary reprieve from the relentless march of time and the scars it leaves behind.