Memory as a Constitutive of Identity in Rookmangud Katawal's My Story

Abstract

This research paper delves into the autobiography of the Former Chief of Army Staff of Nepal, Rookmangud Katawal’s My Story, with the special attention to his memory which eventually creates his identity evident in the way he uses language to describe his past, the prioritization of some incidents, deletion of some important incidents and the politicization of the past history of the autobiographer. This paper uses Politics of Memory, the theoretical text developed by Joanne Rappaport to find out how the writer uses his past in the present context to create his identity from Royal-made person to Self-made devoted and patriotic Army. This paper especially highlights the use of language, narrative technique, inclusion and deletion of the events, selective remembering and application of his past in the present scenario to dismantle his previous identity as an adopted son of the King Mahendra and creates his new identity as one of the patriotic person in current republican context of Nepal. This examination of autobiographical technique of remembering the past with present socio-political circumstances leads to a finding that this text works as a tool reestablish his individual identity--not bestowed by the Royal family but on of his own. In this way, this paper helps the readers in understanding the hidden politics of remembering the past of the General Katawal and his politics behind writing an autobiography.