Vered Vinitzky-Seroussi | Hebrew University of Jerusalem says:
Memory – whether personal or social – is a tricky entity which is elusive, cunning, tempting and full of magic. Memory promises a bridge to the past, to the way we were, to the way things were. And yet, this promise can never be fulfilled. If the past wasn't a past, it would be here, with us. And of course, it is not. And the memory is an imperfect and unstable representation of the past. Whenever one attempts to touch the past – even with a smile – one is doomed to discover that there is no way one can touch what is gone. These are perhaps the hardest moments. Traveling to one's childhood home is a trying experience: the home which we remembered as huge, glorious and warm seems later in life as small, ugly, run down and estranged. The way to school which was long, full of temptations is by now short, and lacking any excitement. And those who went to school with us and whom we meet twenty years later are less witnesses of the past than witnesses of the present, of our aging, of the time that passes, and of the past that can never be re-enacted and relived. And the memory – through its pictures of rainy days and a shared umbrella and an optimistic smile and a sense of friendship – is perhaps our last defense line against the recognition the past is untouchable, and that there is no way back and that the loss is a loss.
Eileen Otis | Stony Brook University says:
The Chinese government successfully implemented the one-child per family policy in urban centers, creating the phenomenon known as “the little Emperor.” With only one child for two sets of grandparents to dote on, the children born within the plan receive seemingly endless gifts and attention, prompting some to worry about a generation of spoiled children. Interestingly, many urbanites increasingly accept having a daughter as the only child. Whereas in rural China the family planning policy has led to the abandonment of daughters, in urban China the policy has led to a increased value placed on daughters now the sole child in many families. Families invest in their daughters’ education and future. It will be interesting to see how their families react in the future when these daughters confront labor market discrimination against women that is widespread.
You must be a Rachel Tanur Memorial Prize applicant to submit an essay response.
2 Essays
Vered Vinitzky-Seroussi | Hebrew University of Jerusalem says:
Memory – whether personal or social – is a tricky entity which is elusive, cunning, tempting and full of magic. Memory promises a bridge to the past, to the way we were, to the way things were. And yet, this promise can never be fulfilled. If the past wasn't a past, it would be here, with us. And of course, it is not. And the memory is an imperfect and unstable representation of the past. Whenever one attempts to touch the past – even with a smile – one is doomed to discover that there is no way one can touch what is gone. These are perhaps the hardest moments. Traveling to one's childhood home is a trying experience: the home which we remembered as huge, glorious and warm seems later in life as small, ugly, run down and estranged. The way to school which was long, full of temptations is by now short, and lacking any excitement. And those who went to school with us and whom we meet twenty years later are less witnesses of the past than witnesses of the present, of our aging, of the time that passes, and of the past that can never be re-enacted and relived. And the memory – through its pictures of rainy days and a shared umbrella and an optimistic smile and a sense of friendship – is perhaps our last defense line against the recognition the past is untouchable, and that there is no way back and that the loss is a loss.
Eileen Otis | Stony Brook University says:
The Chinese government successfully implemented the one-child per family policy in urban centers, creating the phenomenon known as “the little Emperor.” With only one child for two sets of grandparents to dote on, the children born within the plan receive seemingly endless gifts and attention, prompting some to worry about a generation of spoiled children. Interestingly, many urbanites increasingly accept having a daughter as the only child. Whereas in rural China the family planning policy has led to the abandonment of daughters, in urban China the policy has led to a increased value placed on daughters now the sole child in many families. Families invest in their daughters’ education and future. It will be interesting to see how their families react in the future when these daughters confront labor market discrimination against women that is widespread.
You must be a Rachel Tanur Memorial Prize applicant to submit an essay response.