The Assault – Memory

memory is defined as The faculty of the mind by which it retains the knowledge of previous thoughts, impressions, or events. Memories are units of instruction that have impacted ones life and are stored in the brain for years. In many cases, dramatic events may not let the brain register both single detail nearly a situation. This is much similar Antons case of the winter of 1945 of the novel The Assault by set upon Mulisch. The events of that winter affected him like no other would.The loss of his mother, father and brother and the burning of his home left an impact on him but the events were so enter his brain did not allow him to believe the smaller details. As he meets important people from his past, he begins to remember the smaller things he has realized. throughout the whole novel memories begin to slowly flow back to Anton. Every person he meets allows his memories to develop. First, he sees his former neighbours, the Beumers, who not only jog his memory but allow him to rook new things slightly that night.Although the memories should have been vivid in his mind, Anton had forgotten some of the events of that night. Simply seeing the Beumers, and being in their movement helped jog his memories. They had him everyplace for supper while he was in the neighbourhood for a friends birthday. It had been evident that Mrs. Beumers memories were surely more(prenominal) vivid than Antons. Next had been his meeting with Fake Ploeg junior, the son of the Nazi who had been killed that terrible night. Ploeg had not been over his fathers death, He and Anton both had arguments defending their fathers, and why that night may have happened.This allowed Anton to frank his mind to new ideas, and question his theories as if they had not been thought out correctly. Another happens later when Anton meets Takes, a friend of his father-in-laws. In the first episode Anton is thrown in a cell with an older cleaning adult female whom he cannot identify. He has an emotional conversation with her just about what had happened the night of Ploegs death and became extremely amiable with the woman. She becomes some sort of a mother figure to Anton. Although Anton felt as if he could remember every word, every feeling and every scent that night in the cell, he drew a blank.Takes explains that the woman in the cell with him was one of Ploegs killers. This was one of those important moments in your life that is so grave you cant allow yourself to remember. It may have been due to the fact that Anton didnt remember, or didnt want to remember the details that remind him of the death of his family members. After he meets Takes he meets Karen Kortweg one of the more important characters in the plot. The Kortwegs were the ones who took Fake Ploegs body and dragged it in front of Antons familys house, the Steenwijk residence.When meeting Karen, she finally explains the reasoning behind why she left the body in front of the Steenwijks house and not an y of the other two neighbours houses. Once she goes into detail about the families and her and her fathers reasonings Anton begins to understand and remember the neighbourhood he grew up in and the events of that night. It is amazing how memories can be jogged by a single person, object, sound or scent. The people Anton has met and the places he revisits allow him to remember the events of his torturous past, which permit him to determine his future.Without memories people would not be able to be happy and reminisce on all the great moments in their lives. They wouldnt be able to learn from their mistakes to better their future. With all these memory lapses Anton was having, he was stuck. There was nothing to learn from, no pain harboured inwardly of him, and all the happy moments he shared with his family were gone. Once he began to remember certain events his mind had been well-defined to new and old feelings. Ones he hadnt felt since he was twelve years old lifespan peacefully in Holland with his family.He also began to create a direction for himself. The only question he was left with was who was guilty and who had been innocent? In the end memories are extremely important. They help form a person and guide them through life. As well as learn from their mistakes and prepare them for the future. Memories are like a dream you cant remember. Once its over, you forget completely. But that one feeling, spirit or sound lets it all come back to you and you are finally able to allow yourself to experience the state of euphoria we call remembering.