Stories We Tell

Although on the surface, the element of memory in the study of psychology may seem basic and rudimentary, the depths of memory are essentially, untapped. To truly understand the depths of memory, one must understand the storage of memory, the recollection of memory, and the processes of sharing memories. In order to obtain a better understanding of the subject matter, the examination of the independent documentary, Stories We Tell, was applied. Memory is also conceptualized into types, stages, and processes. These principles were measured in the lucrative and thorough examination of a childhood memory. In order to ensure the reliability and validity of the memory, the use of self-recollection, the use of recording, and the use of sharing with

In the documentary, Stories We Tell, directed by, Sarah Polley, the reliability and causation of memories is explored. Polley delves into her childhood, a period of her life where her mother, Diane, was still alive. Since the realm Polley is attempting to explore is included in her episodic memory, a type of memory founded on personal experiences, a challenge is placed on her shoulders. To mend the broken shards of her childhood, Polley must interview parties involved, such as her immediate family and biological father. The audience is acquainted with the Polley family through the use of narratives and interviews. As the film progress, flaws begin to appear in the general makeup of other people’s perception of that memory/ memories. Polley’s biological father, having a vested interest in Polley’s discovery of her early years, paints an unsound fallacy for her. His recollection is of Diane and himself being in a deep passionate love, with next to no tribulations except for the fact that he asked her to to move to Canada, where he currently lived. However, this tranquil relationship is juxtaposed by outside parties who had claimed Diane’s true love was Polley’s step father, for she return back to him even after years of instability between their relationship. With these contradicting narratives and confusing plot line, it’s difficult for the audience to

Technically, the term valid is synonymous with well-rounded or defensible. Validity, although widely used in logical or didactic nature, can be on a personal, internal level. When someone attempts to recall their memory or use their memory as a way to conjure a certain feeling or emotion, an extent of validity for that person is being used. There remains a glaring differentiation between memories used for serious occasion, such as a court of law, and for personal occasions, such as the recollection of a memory for an essay or documentary. Even though portions of my memory as well as the memories that are attempted to be connected in the documentary contain some form of bias or misinformation, they are still capable of having a deeper, emotional value. When one allows themselves to see past the merkiness of unreliability in a memory and look solely at what that memory means, the validity of the memory is left. Furthermore, a memory does not have to be a word by word, detail by detail, account of an event to hold a degree of validity for