<p>Many persons believe that to move up the ladder of success and achievement, they must forget the past, repress it, and relinquish it. But others have just the opposite view. They see old memories as a chance to reckon with the past and integrate past and present.</p>
<p>Adapted from Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot, I've Known Rivers: Lives of Loss and Liberation</p>
<p>Assignment: Do memories hinder or help people in their effort to learn from the past and succeed in the present? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.</p>
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<p>Remembering the past is very important to success in life. Often, people think ignoring what has happened will allow them to make better decisions in the future. The opposite is true. For both individuals and groups, learning can only be accomplished through examining what has happened in the past and applying it to the future.</p>
<p>In Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, Victor Frankenstein attempts to move on with his life by ignoring the monster he has created. For some time this works. He travels with his friend and leads a carefree life. Eventually though, this decision comes back to haunt him. The monster, whom Frankenstein stops thinking about, takes revenge by killing Frankensteins younger brother. Later in the book, Frankenstein is asked by the monster to create make a companion for him. This time Frankenstein considers his past. He decides that it was a mistake the first time and would be a mistake again. While Frankenstein suffers personally from the decision, he has probably helped humanity in the long run. Since this is his intention, carefully thinking about the past leads him to the right action.</p>
<p>Like Frankenstein, France after World War I ignored the past to its detriment. To protect itself from a future German invasion, France set up the Maginot Line. This line ran along the border between France and Germany and was nearly impenetrable. However, in World War I, Germany had not attacked through that border. Instead, it went through Belgium and the Netherlands. The only reason the tactic wasnt successful was a lack of speed. Germany learned from this, and in World War II, the German armys strength was its speed. Germany used this when repeating its attack through the Netherlands and Belgium. With the improvement of the German army and the lack of adjustments by the French, the attack was an overwhelming success. If France had remembered its past, they may have saved themselves.</p>
<p>History is a valuable tool that should be used by everyone. A person should never forget the past if they are to learn and succeed in the future. While some say that doing so frees a person, they should realize that it only makes them repeat the same mistakes. As intelligent beings, memory is our greatest asset.</p>