Past

“We are all rewriting our pasts.” (Hank Green, Remembering and Forgetting). While people argue that they have a perfect memory, it’s most likely a false memory, which is a side effect of the brain performing its duties. Memory is the reconstruction and reproduction of past events. Every time we tell or retell a story, some details are changed. We are constantly influenced by the situations around us, determining what emphasis we put in our stories and how much we exaggerate or tell minute…

death, each and every American Citizen pays income taxes. To fully understand taxation, a citizen must look into the past, the present, and the future of taxes. The past, the present, and the future situations of taxes can be analyzed to determine the purpose of the taxation system in the American society. What is the past, the present, and the future of taxes in America? In the past taxes have been a touchy subject. Taxes in the early colonies could be seen as a breaking point between the…

The Great Gatsby The past determines who you are in the present. People can assume me many things about you based on your past. The events that you did in the past may have been an exceptional or a dissatisfactory effect on you, but those prearrangements you made back then are who makes you today. Mr.Gatsby, in the story they talk about his past and the consequences he had. For example, when Tom exposes Gatsby of his bootlegging money. The consequence of this is that Daisy is now in jeopardy of…

created in response to attempted suppressions of past occurrences. The characters of Blanche DuBois and Joe Keller are seen to be tragically haunted by their pasts in their present-day lives. While there is a clear divergence in the context of the two character’s former actions, the permanently surfacing remnants of their respective pasts ultimately results in their individual downfalls, thus successfully speaking to the validity of the claim that “the past is the present.” In each of the…

The Effects of the Past on the Present Drastic events can cause someone to change their perspective on things. In Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne, a Salem villager named Goodman Brown ventures on a sinful journey into the woods to meet with a mysterious elderly man. Goodman Brown’s discussion with the man as well as the demoniac activities he witnesses while travelling through the woods cause him to no longer believe in the goodness of the people of his Puritanical community. Goodman…

Memories and the Past Bleed into the Present Memories that are in the past, are in the past, right? But, do they still have an impact on one’s life? Throughout Maus I, a graphic novel written by Art Spiegelman, memories and a reflection of the past are exhibited as a prevalent motif. Vladek Spiegelman tells of his experiences as a Jew during World War II. With the progression of the story, the lasting impact of the War and the Holocaust becomes clear. Memories and the past can have an…

The past can affect a person in many different ways. It is a key factor in defining who that person is, and who he/she becomes. Things that have happened in the past and the decisions a person makes in their past shape the person. What a person does with their past affects their future as well. If they choose to hold on to their past it generally leads to a path of destruction, however, if a person chooses to let go of their past they tend to lead a better, more positive life. Within the three…

Thinking about the past and looking back at how life used to be is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, some find appeasement and placidity in abandoning the past and accepting the present. However, there are those who cannot seem to avoid the past and the effect it has on their lives. Dwelling in these past memories and refusing to move on can become very detrimental. In "A Rose for Emily" by William Faulker, the author shows how living in the past affects you psychologically and negatively…

characteristics, or money. With such power, the extent of authority obtained is considerably high. Equally important, the impact on the world those with power is immense. George Orwell wrote within a novel “Who controls the past controls the future. And who controls the present controls the past” (Zinn 89). Howard Zinn elucidated this quote in his…

Lives: The Past is Another Country is a film about black history and heritage. Most African Americans know that their ancestors were slaves, and it used to be that they could not trace their ancestors after that. However, using the technology of DNA analysis and genetics, the film shows a very fascinating research and experiment in tracing one’s heritage. The film makes a clear point of why they’re doing this research, why trace back to one’s ancestors, and why does it matter if we know our…