The play opens on Rosencrantz and Guildenstern betting on a coin
toss. Guildenstern loses repeatedly, as Rosencrantz always calls heads.
Guildenstern displays his nervousness as he mutters about the laws of
probability. These characters obviously feel confused about who they
are and what they are doing. In a futile attempt to comprehend what is
happening, Guildenstern asks Rosencrantz to tell him the first thing he
remembers. Rosencrantz replies that he cannot remember, because “it was
so long ago.” Thus, Stoppard highlights the fact that much of one’s sense
of self comes from one’s memories.
Free write about your earliest memory. What role does it play in your
identity? Separate the memories suggested to you by relatives and friends
or family photos from events you clearly remember.
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12 comments:
ESTEFANY SAYS:
I remember when I was playing in my house in Dominican Republic when I was a small child. My mother and father laid on the bed that was near the window. I liked to look out the window and stare into the night sky. I liked to watch the empty street.
Having this memory is something special to me because I remember how my family used to be. I laugh at it now and sometimes it makes me happy to remember it when I'm feeling down. This is a part of me because it's a string, the bond between my mother and me. All memories me who I am, especially the happy ones. This memory is a constant reminder of how different things have turned out to be.
My earliest memory would be from this morning. I remember waking up at 6:59 am and getting angry because I knew I was going to be late for my first class. Then my mom coming into my room telling to get up, but I ignore her and look at her and then close my eyes again. Next thing I know as I open my eyes and its 9:40 am. I realized that I wasn’t going to school now, so I get up and drag myself, my pillow and my blanket to the living room couch. I turn on the TV and start watching sponge bob square pants until it was time for me to get ready for work which was at 2:30 pm.
Unfortunately for me I am a person who memory isn’t very well equipped and I tend to forget things very fast. I have no memories at all of when I was younger and I know that’s hard to believe but to put it in a way you can make sense to it, it’s like if I were born again everyday. The only way I work with my past events if I can remember anything is if its something standard that do everyday. So for example I know I work three times a week but I probably won’t remember what I do specifically. So I guess that in my case my memories isn’t something that makes up my identity. I believe that for me what makes up my identity would be the present and the decisions I make and however that effects my future.
Hmmm... my memory tends to falter after a while in terms of remembering events, but I'll try anyway.
Journal Entry
I guess the earliest memory for me would be probably when I got trampled on back in the sixth grade. It was pretty painful, and I had a "lasting impression" for a good six weeks.
It started in the cafeteria during lunch in sixth grade. Everyone was a bit rowdy, but for the longest time, it was self contained by the different tables. Then, out of nowhere, a food fight erupts, and caused a colossal, chaotic mess. I was very fearful of icky school food getting on my clothing, and moved towards exiting the cafeteria.
Unfortunately for me, everyone had the same idea. Not of watching out for their clothes, but for moving out of the cafeteria. After security radioes buzzed and deans talked of mass suspensions, everyone seemed to "mob-ilize" outside the cafeteria. It was a bum-rush. How it was named, I do not know, but I do know I sustained fair injuries during it.
I had been trying to run as fast as possible, but I was wedged with slow people in front of me, and mounds of people behind me, speeding up. I had felt myself slipping, and had grabbed another kid's backpack strap to attempt to level myself. HOWEVER, I had INADVERTENTLY crashed to the floor, and faced a barrage of sneakers stepping on my cheeks and all over my face. Furthermore, when I turned over so that my face was facing the floor, I again INADVERTENLY tripped about nine people and caused a pileup of kids... on top of myself! Since my face was facing the floor, my heels were up, and runners tripped and fell right on top of me.
I screamed for help as loud as I could. I felt immensely uncomfortable and unnerved at the fact that I could hardly breathe. Finally, I heard the safety agent screaming "Move!" to the still running kids, and I was pulled off the floor and I went to the nurse.
When I got to my Life Science class after coming from the nurse, I was caught in a web of attention. My teacher asked if I was alright, and the kids stared at me as if I was a slideshow or in my underpants. They looked at me with sheer surprise. To my own surprise, I noticed I had a prominent scar on my face, shaped like the nike logo. It lasted for about six weeks.
This memory plays a role in my identity in two main ways. First, it supports my lack of tolerance for ANY shenanigans of that nature. Second, it explains why I tend to critique kids a bit harshly and seem a bit commanding to them. For Example, I have somewhat taken it upon myself to warn people not to play roughly in the hallways because of fear of people getting hurt.
This memory adds to my "authority complex" or bossiness part of my identity, and it adds to my "refusal to repeat the same mistake twice" complex of my identity. I will not repeat the actions taken above a second time, should an event like this occur again, and this event makes me bossier only because with proper order, the damage in the event could have been limited. However, the circumstances did warrant the immediate action of order, but didn't receive it because this was so much of a surprise.
One of my earliest memories has been the ones of my childhood. One example of this was when I was about six or seven ,I used to always stay home in the care of my two older brothers. I would always miss my parents since I never really got to see them much because they were always busy working. Whenever I wasn’t missing them I was calling them and whenever I wasn’t calling them I was busy looking at our family albums. This was the way I though I would stop missing them, but instead I always ended up crying of the though of them not being with me and having to be stuck with my two immature brothers almost all day and night. Of course I would always try to hide my tears or else I’d have to suffer getting teased at and laughed at by my insensitive brothers.
I guess you can say that memories are part of my identity, they are very important to me and I use them to help me escape from any present pains and somehow make me feel much better. I know that memories are just memories but it’s always hard for me to let go and that is one main characteristic of me, I try to live in the past and sometimes let my present fly right by me.
Estefany, I think it is wonderful that you have a memory with your mom! Treasure it. Can you tie this experience to R & G at all?
Steph,
You must really be able to relate to R & G then. No? I mean, they have only the moment they are in too. What are the frustrations with this? What are the benefits? What would an absurdist say? Am I asking too many questions? Rhetorical! Point. Game.
Kyle,
Oops, I read your entry to say a "slideshow in my pants," which was so absurd and perverse that I had to laugh. Your experience however, is pretty sad. Chaotic moments with crowds of any sort tend to leave lasting impressions. However, just so you know, I don't see you as having an "authority complex." Believe me, I've seen my fair share of those. How can you relate your tale to R&G?
Elizabeth, that is so sad I can't even say a thing. I am feeling blue for you. You need a unicorn or a deer.
To bring my experience back to the text, I will add this:
During my experience, I wasn't just physically trampled on, but emotionally as well. As I had looked up at the faces passing by and over me, I felt crushed that my life seemed to be less important than getting suspended. Maybe Rosencratz and Guildenstern felt trampled on emotionally because they were subordinates to the King.
Additionally, the duo did have a difficult time understanding the Player and his cronies when they showed up for the very first time. Their experience with a crowd of people might've been unnerving the first time, since before that, they were by themselves, just flipping coins and trying to figure out their identities and where they fit in life.
My earliest memory was when I was comming to America. I still remember the date, it was in the winter, December 28. I remember me freezing my behind off becuase I was never use to being cold. All i knew was my carribbean weather which was hot and sunny all day. I remember how excited I was to be able to finally see my dad it was no longer going to be my mom and my five siblings. We were going to be reunited with our father too, and family memebers that I did not know of.i was leaving my favorite aunt behind but that did not matter to me because I was going to get something greater than that which was my father.
I can say that this is memory is a part of my identity. It helped me to shape the life that I am living right and that if it wasnt for my dad determination and his faith I would of never been here. R&G lives only in the moment but not in the past. For they do not have any memmory of the past or who they really are. I think that it is very sad that they do not have any memories of their past that could of probably help them to know their identity. I think that memory and identity are connected and you need them both. My memory of coming to New York and reuniting with the family and other memories help me to make up my identity.
Nadege, what a keen observation--your memories add to the way you experience life. Without your particular set of memories, it would be hard to say who exactly is Nadege Laporte. That is why R &G have such a challenging situation--they have no memories, they are only whatever they are able to gather from what other people say. Once we spoke of characterization--that characters are what they say, what they do, and what others say about them. Is this true of us as well?
Kyle,
I think R&G indeed felt frustrated to be "used" by the King and frankly, by Hamlet, and even the player. I think that is why they tried to take out their frustrations on the player--to no avail helas.
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