The Prince and the Pauper – Chapter Thirty – Fun Fact

In Ch. 30 of The Prince and the Pauper, we see Tom finally starting to get used to his role as king. Additionally, both Edward and Tom’s family begin to fade from his mind. In The Prince and the Pauper Chapter 30 Fun Fact focuses on…

LOSING CHILDHOOD MEMORIES

Keep reading or watch the video below for more information.

Reference in The Prince and the Pauper

“Tom’s poor mother and sisters travelled the same road out of his mind. At first he pined for them, sorrowed for them, longed to see them, but later, the thought of their coming some day in their rags and dirt, and betraying him with their kisses, and pulling him down from his lofty place, and dragging him back to penury and degradation and the slums, made him shudder. At last they ceased to trouble his thoughts almost wholly. And he was content, even glad: for, whenever their mournful and accusing faces did rise before him now, they made him feel more despicable than the worms that crawl.” (p. 178-179)

Why do we lose our childhood memories?

Repressed Memory Theory
- Sigmund Freud
- Repressed memories associated with childhood trauma
- Usually doesn’t entirely erase memories; survivors tend to remember events partially

Memories Lack Emotional Significance
- Memories with strong emotions are stronger
- Young children don’t have a fully developed range of emotions

Normal Cognitive Development
- New neurons form in the hippocampus as we grow
- As new pathways are being formed, these may block off early memories
- Older neural connections are also sometimes trimmed away

How can we bring some memories back?