Dr. Richardson offers Anna the choice to open her memory vault, try to reseal it, or deal with things as they come up (p. 66). Which would you have chosen, if you’d been in Anna’s shoes?
I thought this aspect of the Dr’s treatment for Anna was really interesting. I think I would want to have kept the memories sealed to move on with my life. I already knew my dad was a killer, so why rehash the details of my childhood with him? I understand why the Dr. used this technique, since she was so young when her dad was caught and executed. Then when she sees news stories later on, she can identify him but doesn’t know the details. Since she already changed her name and identity, I would have tried to move on. The fact that the author made this vault a cave in the woods, tied in nicely with her obsession with the forest.
It seemed like a really feasible way to treat trauma. I use something similar when I’m trying to sleep but something’s on my mind - I mentally put it in a box, seal it up, and put it on my desk to deal with in the morning. It doesn’t always work, but it often does help me get to sleep & stop worrying.
I do think that had I been in Anna’s shoes I would have wanted to know about my past, but that’s just my personality. I always want to know!
Well the memories were coming back to her after she killed the man. It was a bit shocking how many bullets she used. I can understand that she might be worried about herself thinking she might be like her father. I think she was brave in wanting to know her complete past. Myself I think once the copycat murdered started I would just want to do my job and go on, not wanting to know everything about my past.
For better or for worse I also have a strong curiosity and when presented with the option I probably would have wanted to “open the memory vault.” I think after she killed the man and the memories started to return I don’t think she had the option to never return to them. Dr. Richardson’s techniques were experimental so the memories may have returned even without Dr. Richardson helping the process.
Given Anna’s mindset it seemed natural for her to want to know. Me? All depends on the context, the why.
I firmly believe that knowing the truth is the best route, the only possible one to real freedom. So open that vault, Doc! I would want to know everything in order to face the complications head-on, work through them, and get on with life to the best of my ability.
I found this method unusual. However, if it’s something that can help someone deal with their difficulties, that’s fine. i wonder if something like that is really used or did the author make this up?
I would want to know and have all my memories available. They were starting to slip through and not having the complete picture would just be more confusing. As an adult, it would be the time to work through them.
Good point Jan. It was to Anna’s advantage to know as much as possible. The experimental nature of the therapy would have been appealing.