Discuss the idea(s) developed by the author about the significance of our memory of the past - Essay Example

College Significance of our memory of the Past In the film Gran Torino, Kowalski Walt is a retired American soldier who fought in Korea, a war that would later ravage his life. Walt fights with memories of dead men and soldiers and the hatred in which soldiers used to fight in the Korean War. After his wife’s death, Walt is completely affected by this loss and ends up hating everyone around him including his children and his grandchildren. Therefore, the films is about the significance of the memories that affect one’s future and dictate how individuals spend their life at advanced ages affected by tier past and memories that come back to haunt them.

Memories of the past especially regarding racialism and the white supremacy mentality are evident and still haunt Walt’s future. In other words, the belief that the white race was supreme than others, which was practiced and held for many years still haunts memories of the actor in his past. For example, the author indicates that though "Hmong might be good people," if they wanted anything fixed such as appliances or even cleaning up a yard or even ending the gang war that affect the society, they needed a white person to help and that the white may get away with anything thing.

The racist mentality that was practiced in the past still haunts the author; he believes that the whites are supreme over other races in all aspects. The past beliefs in cultural superiority dictate his relationships with other races, which as the film illustrates prevents the author from establishing a cordial relationship with others. Understanding one another early enough dictate how people interact later in life and how this interaction impacts their lives. Walt’s memories of the good and meaningful life he had in the past as a soldier and with the family affects his life, considering he is now alone and in different settings.

This makes Walt to sink deep into loneliness and reject any gesture that seeks to lift him from this life. For instance, his oldest son and his wife bring him a birthday gift to make his life better and cheer him up. However, his son’s motives are against Walt’s values and feelings. As a result, he rejects the gift and the suggestion of a retirement home. This suggests that everyone views life in a different and unique lens. In other words, there is a need to understand others and their needs to avoid conflicts.

The fact that the two do not understand one another results into conflict. If the two had understood one another before, the son could have known what his father needed most at the time, thereby preventing such conflict. One aspect in real life that the film delves in is the stereotyping effect in the society and how such ideas on individuals affect the interactions in the society. Having stereotypic memories about a race, tribe, and profession or age affects interactions in a society in the future, especially if such stereotyping is negative.

For instance, Walt is disgusted with his neighbors who eat dogs, which perhaps could explain his disgust with Asians considering he was involved in the Koran war. The negative stereotyping of Koreans based on their culture of eating dogs, which to Walt is not acceptable, affects how he relates with his neighbors. Anytime he recalls memories that he found disgusting, he would feel unease dealing with such a race. Such stereotyping of behaviors leads to racism and tribalism in the society. Therefore, the film Gran Torino, though highlighting the sociological issues that affect a society, it brings out the power of the past memories in affecting an individual’s future.

The beliefs, values, actions and omissions of the past as the film illustrates affects how the individual relates with others into the future. On the other hand, such relations determine the quality of life. ReferenceEastwood, Clint (Director). Gran Torino. Warner Bros Pictures, 2008. [DVD]