Memory and Forgetting in Popular Culture

Is it always good to remember? Does forgetting always imply failure? While it is easier than ever to document and access information, the rise of ephemeral media such as Snapchat indicates a growing desire for the past to remain past, and to not become a burden on the present. This course explores the tension between remembering and forgetting as it is portrayed in film, literature, and technology, to examine what they reveal about our belief in—and anxieties towards—human memory.