"Freedom from Fear" and the Importance of Memior

Today’s reflection is on “Freedom from Fear,” by Aung San Suu Kyi. I’m classifying this book not only as a piece of social change literature, but also as a memoir. At first glance the book may not appear as a memoir, since it reads and feels more like a history book, composed by actual writings that were meant for Australian high school history books and a hodge-podge of copied speeches (primary sources) that are still available to us. But I will argue that these writings are indeed worthy of the title of memoir.

To understand memoir, we first have to understand that it is not the same as autobiography. Autobiography in my opinion is always boring and sloppy. In this genre it is the author’s intention to tell you everything about them, and in striving for this they end up telling you absolutely nothing. Sure, you may have a list of facts by the end that are comprised of dates and names and accomplishments, but you still really know nothing about the person, and now infer that they are full of themselves and boring.

Memoir on the other hand, aims to capture a particular time in the writer’s life or a particular theme that they have seen chasing them through the years trying its hardest to make itself visible. For me I always view memoir as a form of deep reflection, where the author is uncovering meaning and purpose, and I am part of this process as I read their words. I’ve written a memoir of my own as a writer found that this journey of discovery through the writing process was very true. Writing it helped me to discover the meaning in certain events in my life and it helped me to uncover a theme, or a string that tied seemingly random events together. When I read other people’s memoirs, I am often encouraged to find meaning in my own stories as I identify with theirs, experiencing what I believe to be the point of good literature, especially social change literature, shared humanity.

Understanding memoir as an attempt to make sense of our lives to find purpose and connection, I can honestly say that I believe “Freedom from Fear” qualifies to be placed in this genre. Throughout all of these writings Aung San Suu Kyi tries to understand her history beginning with her father’s legacy, and then decipher what her role she should play in Burma because of her understanding.

She never knew her father and the first few writings which capture his role in Burmese history are written from a historical point of view, but who can write about their own father and not begin to understand their own connection to the history he created? As you continue to follow Suu Kyi’s writings throughout the book you can see her pulling together the own themes of her life and begin to understand that her work as a Burmese historian illuminated her role as a Burmese citizen and the responsibility that she had to speak for her people that were often without a voice. By writing about her father, she appears to have discovered herself.

As a side note, I have to say that my favorite part of this book was the introduction by Aung San Suu Kyi’s husband. He helped bring her to life introducing her not only as an amazing human rights activist, but also as a wife, a mother and a daughter. I couldn’t help but cry when he wrote about the day that he and their sons were informed that her house arrest had been intensified and they would no longer be able to see her, and then I thought about her in her house now over 20 years later never being able to see her boys grow. I cried again.

So, what role do I believe that good memoir plays in social change literature? Well, first any writer writing honestly and vulnerably about themselves cannot help but create a space of shared humanity. When people are honest and transparent, their humanity shines through, and readers cannot help but reflect on their own humanity and ask themselves questions like, “What would I do in that situation? What are going to be the consequences of that action they just took? Who are the people that shaped me in the ways that the author is talking about right now?” Obviously, these reflections aren’t always deep and drawn out, but I believe they are natural reactions to reading honest text, and just by being present if not deep provides a more fertile soil for social justice.

Pipher in “Writing to Change the World” also comments on the ways that writing memoir helps the writer. She argues that they begin to find themes of importance in their lives. Things that speak to the them. It helps writers to clearly grasp and explain to themselves their passions and where they come from. She says it also helps writers to begin to discover their strengths and their weaknesses and begin to use them to their advantage in their writing and activist work, and that this form of writing helps the writer to see the links between their story and the rest of humanity as well. This understanding helps the writer to find entry points in new conversations and new initiatives.

Well, as Katy pointed out yesterday, it’s such an easy way out to write about why you aren’t writing and claim it as progress. But I think it was a necessary step. Maybe now I can actually begin a bit creatively. Stay tuned, hopefully the next entry will be a little bit of some memoir of my own.