The aim of this thesis is to examine the manipulation of memory by Rosemary Cooke in Karen Joy Fowler’s novel "We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves". To this end, different aspects which are linked to the representation of memory will be looked at.
The first aspect is the construction of memory. This is crucial to distinguish between the non-linear narrative and the actual timeline. Essential questions are: What is the timeline of the story? Who manipulates memory? How is it manipulated?
Also, unreliability linked to the mental time travel that as a narrative technique will be looked at. Fowler uses Franz Kafka’s “A Report for an Academy” as an intertext in her novel. Passages from the text appear before every chapter and leave a space of interpretation for the reader. The last chapter of this thesis presents a brief analysis of the report, with a special focus on the Ape’s memory and how he considers being a human as a way of being free.
Clearly, through a stream of consciousness point of view, it is Rosemary who tells the story. However, her family members had a great impact on her mental health and the way she receives information as a minor. Therefore, it is important to take into consideration whether her memories are intentionally falsified or whether this happens subconsciously. Second, a focus lies on the unreliability of the narrator. The loss of Fern causes traumatic stress responses in the family members. It is particularly Rosemary who suffers from her loss; therefore, her grieving causes her to develop a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Hence, even though she avoids her past, she recalls vivid memories, both good and bad ones. To identify whether she is an unreliable or reliable narrator, certain categories of unreliability as a literary device will be discussed.
To some extent, Fowler puts the audience in a challenging ethical position when revealing why Fern had to be separated from the family. However, the reason is not narrated by Rosemary until the last third of the novel. Therefore, the reader gets an insight into the narrator’s psyche to avoid biases against her. Furthermore, the chapter addresses Rosemary’s identity crisis and how it affects her role as a narrator. Also, unreliability linked to the mental time travel that as a narrative technique will be looked at.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 The Construction Of Memory
2.1 Manipulating Subjects
2.2 Objects Of Manipulation
2.3 Who Manipulates Memory?
3 The Unreliability Of Memory
3.1 Mental Health Impact
3.2 The Categories of Unreliability
3.3 Cause And Effect of Unreliability
4 Memory And the Non-Human
4.1 The Ape’s Memory In “A Report to An Academy”
4.2 “Project Nim” And “The Ape and The Child” - Primates Raised Alongside Humans
5 Conclusion
Research Objectives and Core Themes
This thesis investigates the complex manipulation of memory by the narrator Rosemary Cooke in Karen Joy Fowler’s novel We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, analyzing how trauma and personal identity shape the narrative structure.
- Construction of memory through non-linear storytelling
- Narrative unreliability as a literary and psychological device
- The impact of traumatic experience (PTSD) on identity and communication
- Comparative analysis of human-animal bonding and the process of humanization
- Literary intertextuality with Franz Kafka’s “A Report to an Academy”
Excerpt from the Book
Objects Of Manipulation
Rosemary Cooke has her way of narrating her past through mental time travel between different ages, certain triggers, and individual behavioral characteristics. To understand the disturbing chronological order of the book, it is important to examine the scientific background of memory manipulation. There are differences between how a healthy mind and one that suffers from a mental health disorder stores incoming information. This information also contains how human beings cope with experiences, especially traumatizing ones. According to Kathinka (2007) “(…), the significance of an experience influences the memory”, thus the emotions in the moment of the experience influence the memory. Rosemary’s past is linked to a traumatic separation from her sister and various issues that resulted due to the toxic Cooke household. As a result, she shows signs of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which causes her to develop unreliability towards her memories. The first sign is the disturbed chronological order of the book. In the first-person narrative, Rosemary states that her father taught her a technique of telling a story; “Skip the beginning. Start in the middle” (Fowler 2013, 2). The following chapters of the book show that she was a very talkative child until silenced by the constant critique of her family members due to her loquacious behavior. During one scene, in which she remembers spending time at her Grandparents' house, Rosemary states “Grandma Fredericka would get annoyed because I talked all through the show even as she complained that it was all sexed up and no good anymore (…)” (Fowler 2013,38).
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: This chapter defines the core research questions regarding the manipulation of memory, the unreliability of the narrator, and the thematic use of intertextuality with Franz Kafka’s work.
2 The Construction Of Memory: Examines how the non-linear timeline and the protagonist's stream-of-consciousness narration facilitate the construction of false or reconstructed childhood memories.
3 The Unreliability Of Memory: Analyzes the psychological impact of PTSD on the narrator and classifies the different categories of narrative unreliability present in the novel.
4 Memory And the Non-Human: Explores the relationship between human and non-human memory through comparative studies of home-raised chimpanzees and Kafka’s fictional ape.
5 Conclusion: Synthesizes the findings, confirming that the narrator’s unreliability is fundamentally linked to her trauma and her attempt to navigate the complex emotional bond with her sister.
Keywords
Memory manipulation, Rosemary Cooke, We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, Narrative unreliability, PTSD, Trauma, Stream of consciousness, Humanization, Fern, Chimpanzee, Kafka, Identity crisis, Intertextuality, Project Nim, The Ape and the Child
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this thesis?
The thesis focuses on how the narrator, Rosemary Cooke, manipulates her own memories in the novel We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, and how this unreliability reflects her underlying trauma.
What are the main thematic areas covered?
Key areas include the psychological construction of memory, the nature of narrative unreliability, the impact of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and the comparative study of human-animal boundaries.
What is the central research question?
The research asks how the representation of memory and the narrator’s unreliable perspective contribute to the reader’s understanding of Rosemary's identity and her traumatic family history.
Which methodology is employed in this research?
The author uses a literary analysis approach, drawing upon psychological concepts such as PTSD and memory studies, as well as narratological theories regarding unreliable homodiegetic narration.
What is the role of the novel's non-linear structure?
The non-linear, "in medias res" structure serves as a narrative technique to mimic the way trauma impacts memory, allowing the narrator to avoid confronting painful truths until the end.
Which literary theory is used to analyze the narrator's unreliability?
The analysis utilizes the categories of unreliability defined by Phelan and Martin to classify how Rosemary misreports, misinterprets, and misevaluates the events of her past.
How does the intertextual reference to Franz Kafka function in the novel?
Kafka’s “A Report to an Academy” serves as a thematic mirror, allowing the author to explore the process of humanization and the struggle of living between two identities, animal and human.
What is the significance of the "Project Nim" and "The Ape and the Child" studies in this analysis?
These studies provide a real-world scientific context that corroborates the novel's depiction of long-term memory in chimpanzees, helping to validate the emotional bond between the protagonist and her sister Fern.
- Quote paper
- Farisa Chamajewa (Author), 2021, The Representation of Rosemary's Memory in Karen Joy Fowler's "We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1164020
