Eternal Sunshine Identity

Identity and one’s comprehension of the self are thought to be profoundly influenced by the individual’s memory. Hence, one may not only view the self as a concept or as an image, but also “think of the self as one’s memory for oneself” (Klein). Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind sets the focus on this dynamic, examining the impairment imposed on its characters’ perception of their own identity caused by the selective memory erasure. The film portrays the disruption of the consciousness engendered by labored forgetting. As its protagonists struggle with existential crises as a consequence of their treatment, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind challenges the pivotal importance of memory not only in our comprehension of the past, but also our perception of ourselves. A film profoundly concentrated upon the nature — and power — of memory, Eternal Sunshine‘s essential goal seems to be to ascertain what exactly is at risk in memory loss, and how a loss of memory can be considered as a loss of self.

The protagonists Joel and Clementine, in consequence of aching breakups, resolve to undergo a medical treatment through which their remembrances of the ex-partner are …show more content…
The loss of memory leads to a loss of knowing, and eventually the mind is troubled with lacunas that disrupt the “continuity of consciousness” (King). The consequence of this is an impaired sense of self that causes individuals to complicate their internal dialogue of who they are. Lacuna’s procedure neglects the importance of “temporal continuity created by memory” (King). As Edwards implies, “A loss of memory is not a fresh start but a void bridged only by new forms of grief and displacement.” The spotless mind is solely a tabula rasa that leaves nothing more but a feeling of emptiness and meaninglessness (King). Hence, the eradication of trauma, ironically, engenders a trauma in