The truth of an event can only be accurately portrayed when both history and

memory are utilised. Mark Baker's bildungsroman "The Fiftieth Gate: A Journey
Through Memory" depicts Baker's struggle between the two seemingly opposing
forces of history and memory to create an irrefutable record of his parents
experiences as survivors of the Holocaust, and his own life as a second
generation survivor. Throughout the text, he gradually learns the validity of
memory as a means of recording human experience, and the advantage of a
synthesis between history and memory, as can be seen through his use of
textual form.

History, a record of past events, is advantageous because it provides the reader

with important facts that lead to a linear understanding of time. As an historian,
Baker believes in the validity of history over memory, so he starts his journey by
amassing a pile of facts, figures and statistics. This serves him well in
recollecting the events of his father and grandfather's lives, as they were well
documented. But when it comes to researching his mother, there is no concrete
evidence. "Why do I crave the contents of this single lone sentence I discovered
on a reel of microfilm, when all it says is what she has repeated throughout her
life?" Baker's use of the rhetorical question challenges the reader to question
our over-reliance on history as a source of truth. It is impossible to fully
understand events of the past without utilising both history and memory.

History alone cannot communicate the whole of an event because it lacks the
personal touch provided by memory. Without the emotions of human experience,
history comes off cold and unsympathetic. Baker states his father's admission to
Auschwitz in a detached manner. "'You arrived on 16 June 1944,' I tell him, 'and
stayed till 18 January." His choice of language denotes his inability to
acknowledge memory. He recites only the facts, completely ignoring personal
perspective. By denying the relevance of memory only part of the story is being
told. The purpose of history is to educate future generations, but if all they are
receiving is cold facts, they will not be receiving the 'heart of the story', which is
critical in gaining insights from the past.

Memory as an individual's recollection of an event is crucial because without it a

representation cannot be completely truthful. Baker wants to understand the
series of events in his parents lives before he tries to tackle their memories. This
causes conflict when he interviews his mother. "Dark, hiding in the cupboard it
was all dark, while outside we could hear the footsteps, the screams the shouts.
Not yet, I stopped her. Not yet; first I need to hear how it began." The use of
flashback here illustrates how powerful memories can be, bursting forth even

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when they are not called for. This is contrasted with the short formal sentences
of Baker, providing the historical perspective where everything is organised and
ordered. Because memories are so volatile and fleeting, it is important to record
them as soon as possible. Otherwise, they may vanish forever, thereby depriving
any representation of the past that is aiming to be fair and truthful.

For all its benefits, one cannot rely solely on memory any more than history, due
to its biased and fragmented nature. This causes problems for Baker during his
journey, as there are circumstances where there are no historical facts, and he is
forced to rely on his fathers' failing memories. "'Where's our house? It was there;
or maybe here. Nothing, nothing.'" The short, jumpy sentences convey the
maddening inability of memory to be logical and coherent. Because every person
has their own set of experiences, preferences and influences, it is impossible to
be completely objective. As such, what we recall in a memory is only that which
seemed important to us at the time. This conflicts with Baker's reliance on
history, and when it and memory do not precisely correlate, he favours history.
"Are you sure he was in the cupboard with you?" This doubtful tone conveys his
inability to accept memories as proof. Memories are very useful in gleaning
insights into the past, but on their own they cannot be fully relied on.

Memories are not entirely reliable due to trauma's ability to alter them; however
this altered memory is also valuable. Memories are not indestructible. Due to a
combination of factors, namely the deterioration of the brain over time and its
attempts to protect the conscious mind from traumatic events, memories can
quite easily be falsified. A study undertaken by William Hirsh recorded the
memories of Americans who had witnessed the September 11th terrorist attack.
He followed up with these witnesses a year later, and found that the details they
provided this time around had changed by thirty seven percent. Baker's parents
memories have also sucepted to change. "Our sages taught; ...Only Rabbi Akiva,
the learned one, entered in peace and only he exited in peace... My parents
taught; Rabbi Akiva entered the field, through the gate, past the fiery sword. He
does not exit." The juxtaposition between the two parts indicates the debilitating
trauma that victims of the Holocaust have endured. Baker's parents witnessed
everyone dying around them, even those who were learned and wise. This was
enough to destroy a positive memory, and replace it with one of dark
hopelessness. Baker, through his research, discovered this original teaching,
compares it to what his parents taught him. History fills the flaws in memory. He
sees that their memory is very different, but this does not make it any less
valuable. This changed memory gives the reader a powerful insight into just how
insufferable their experiences were, and we feel a much greater empathy for
these victims.

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Only when both history and memory are in unison can an event be truthfully
captured. While each carries its own set of flaws, brought together in
coalescence they create a fleshed out recollection. After hearing the stories of his
family, Baker learns the value of memory, and uses it in crafting an imaginative
re-creation of his grandfather Leib's time within a camp, containing 'Buchenwald
Song'. "...And the night is hot and my sweetheart far away, and the wind sings
softly and I love her so. O Buchenwald, O Hinda. O Wierzbnik." Baker has
incorporated his own memories into the song, bringing a personal touch to an
impersonal piece of history. Combining history and memory in this way creates a
representation that is much closer to truthfulness than either would be own their
own. This allows both the audience and Baker to gain a deeper understanding of
how vital it is to acknowledge the value of history and memory.

Baker had a clear goal in mind at the beginning of the text: to write a purely
historical account of his parents lives. Along the way, it progressed into a piece
using both the reliable, credible facts of history and the emotional, personal
memories of people. Each has their own strengths and weaknesses, but together
they are complementary. Despite not achieving his goal explicitly, Baker
completed his task in a way that was far more educational and enriching than if
he had stuck to history solely. This suggests that the end product is not so
important as the steps that comprised it. It is the journey, not the destination,
that truly matters. The reader undertakes the journey alongside Baker, and at
the end comes to this compelling insight. Therefore the true value of history and
memory is to help us complete our own journeys.

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