Or how he was once found on the well regarded Rabbi's front lawn, bound in white string, and said he tied one around his finger to remember something terribly important, and fearing he would forget the index finger, he tied a string around his pinky, and then one from waist to neck, and fearing he would forget this one, he tied a string from ear to tooth to scrotum heel, and used his body to remember his body, but in the end could only remember the string. Is this someone to trust for a story?
The character in Jonathan Safran Foer's "Everything Is Illuminated" humorously illustrates the struggle of memory through a bizarre scene where he becomes overly entangled in string to remember important things. This leads to a comical situation where, despite his efforts to keep memories alive, all he achieves is being tied up in strings, symbolizing the irony of failing to remember the very essence of what was important. His extreme method questions the reliability of his recollections.
This approach raises doubt about his credibility as a storyteller. If he cannot even manage to retain his memories without resorting to absurd methods, how can we trust the narratives he shares? His chaotic relationship with memory and reliance on physical reminders show a deeper commentary on the fragility of human understanding and storytelling, fostering skepticism about the truths behind his experiences.
