The first step in liquidating a people is to erase its memory. Destroy its books, its culture, its history. Then have someone write new books, manufacture a new culture, invent a new history. Before long the nation will begin to forget what it is and what it was.
In Milan Kundera's "The Book of Laughter and Forgetting," the author explores the concept of memory and identity through the lens of cultural erasure. He posits that the first action in the process of eliminating a people involves the systematic destruction of their historical records, literature, and cultural artifacts. By obliterating these fundamental elements, a nation can begin to lose its sense of self.
Kundera argues that once a culture's memory is erased, new narratives can be imposed, leading to the creation of a fabricated identity. This manipulation not only alters how a people perceive their past but also how they understand their present and future. Through this cycle, a nation risks complete forgetfulness, losing the core of what makes it unique and significant.
Rate the Quote
User Reviews
Other quotes in book quote
All the things you can talk about in anyone's work are the things that are least important.
Race of Cain, ascend to heaven, And cast God down upon the earth!
