This new order forces people who are immune to live in hiding, fearing what the police would do to them. A police unit designated as the ‘ Memory Police’ is dispatched to enforce this new way of life, rooting and destroying any form of resistance against the new order. Some civilians are immune to this manipulation and therefore seek to revolt against the government. The authoritarian government in turn eradicates all evidence of that object from existence. Civilians begin to experience moments of amnesia where their minds are programmed to forget certain objects in existence like birds, boats, roses, and hats. The novel begins on an island that is controlled by an authoritarian government. Despite the novel being published almost three decades ago, it’s themes and ideas resonate to date especially with the emergence of advanced technological capabilities that are giving rise to mass surveillance and fake news. It explores self-discovery in a world where there’s no privacy and daily life is constantly controlled and manipulated by the powers that be. The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa is a calming and hypnotizing novel that tells the story of a future civilization that is under mass surveillance by the state that governs it. Written by people who wish to remain anonymous We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own. These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community.
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