The yearning for immortality through self-representation in art and literature is a common theme that has been explored broadly. While some seek immortality through external validation, others opt introspective search for meaning in a world where individual lives are fleeting and often forgotten. It is also important to emphasize the dynamic nature of memory and forgetting. They are not static states but fluid processes that are constantly altered by individual experiences, social pressures, and motions of time. Milan Kundera’s novel takes this approach in his novel Immortality. His narrative explores the complex relationship between remembrance and forgetting by exploring their impact on individual lives, the construction of personal memories, and the search for permanence. Through a web of stories, it presents a nuanced portrait of human existence, where the past and the present constantly interact, shaping identity and by extension the Self. This paper aims to redefine the act of forgetting as not just an absence of memory but as a deliberate choice to erase or rewrite the past. to further explore this topic, the reliability of individual memory and the objectivity of historical narratives are brought under the microscope by highlighting the impulse for subjectivity while understanding the past. This is done by examining the literary representations of permanence in general and by analyzing the characters of Kundera in particular where the truth of their lives and actions becomes obscured by their own manipulation and the selective memories of others.

Authors:
Madhumita Patri, Indian Institute of Technology Ropar, India

About the Presenter(s)
Ms MADHUMITA PATRI is a University Doctoral Student at INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ROPAR in India

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