How we cite our quotes: (Paragraph, Sentence)
Quote #1
He makes a few friends who, like himself, believe that the memory of evil will serve as a shield against evil; that the memory of death will serve as a shield against death. (5, 11)
One of the main things memory is (at least, in theory) good for is a reminder not to do terrible things. But, memory's not such a perfect record.
Quote #2
"Forget", they were told, "Forget where you came from; forget who you were. Only the present matters." (7, 2)
The Nazis had a vested interest in having their victims forget their lives outside of the camp. If you take away thoughts of a person's family, job, and life before the concentration camps, then you might have an easier job getting them to accept their terrible conditions as the way things are.
Quote #3
Of course we could try to forget the past. Why not? Is it not natural for a human being to repress what causes him pain, what causes him shame? (10, 1-3)
Forgetting's a powerful coping mechanism. But when you forget things that cause you shame completely, you won't learn that powerful lesson that shame is trying to bash into your skull right when you're trying to go to sleep.