What am I?...I say so inasmuch as I am the memory of all my past moments, the sum of everything I remember. If I say I in the sense of that something that is here at this moment and is not the mainmast or the coral, then I am the sum of what I feel now. But what is what I feel now? It is the sum of those relations between presumed indivisibles that have been arranged in that system of relations in that special order that is my body.
In this excerpt from Umberto Eco's "The Island of the Day Before," the speaker contemplates their identity and existence. They reflect on the concept of "I" as not just a momentary presence but as a culmination of all past experiences and memories. This idea suggests that a person's identity is shaped by their history and the memories that define who they are.
Additionally, the speaker emphasizes the importance of current feelings, which arise from a complex interplay of physical and emotional relations within their body. This highlights that one's identity is also influenced by the present sensations and how they connect to past experiences, forming a unique personal reality.
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