An empty weathered wooden frame stands on a shelf between dried flowers and books in warm amber light.

Original artwork, not a still

The Grapes of Wrath ‧ 1939

John Steinbeck

How can we live without our lives? How will we know it’s us without our past?

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

The questions make memory part of personal identity, rather than a collection of optional possessions. Losing the past threatens the ability to recognise who we are. The repeated appeal to our lives gives history an intimate weight, connecting continuity with the everyday sense of being oneself.

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