Victimhood and the Importance of Memory

In most post-conflict situations, the memory of what the victim experienced is of great importance. This includes preserving the account of what happened to them in an accurate and fair way, as well as recalling memories that may have been lost through time or trauma. Many films and books give accounts of victims of trauma so we are able to have a better idea of what they experience. An example of this type of story is Death and the Maiden, a play by Ariel Dorfman. In the play, the character Paulina was held captive during the military regime in Chile, and relives this trauma when she encounters one of the men from that experience.

The following timeline gives a brief history of the Chilean conflict and the creation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that Gerardo is a part of in the play.

This infographic maps out the relationship between Paulina as the victim and different themes of the play, such as memory, vulnerability, justice, and femininity.

There are countless other films that portray victims of war and other trauma. These films have many things in common, such as they importance they place on memory in the experience of the victim in moving on from difficult past experience. Good examples of such stories include films like Hannah Arendt, Waltz with Bashir, Retratos en un mar de mentiras, and the novel The Armies. Below is a Prezi presentation that gives a visual representation of the role that memory plays in these stories. For some of the characters, these memories are lost and recovered through experiences that bring them back, or the characters struggle with how these memories will be remembered by many for years to come.

https://prezi.com/alpo3ozcyawo/victimhood/#

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