Portfolio: Final Exam

History 121 and Writing 101 have taught many students, myself included, that the two subjects are connected quite firmly. It’s not hard to see that writing and history will always hold a place in peoples’ lives, simply because they are writing and history. A question of whether it is really necessary to deeply analyze historic events comes up. Michel Foucault answers this question with his theory “Why [consider history]? Simply because I am interested in the past? No, if one means by that a history of the past in terms of the present. Yes, if one means the history of the present.” Michel Foucault’s theory of studying history is that past events are not separate from the present. His belief is that the past and present are connected, that today is a continuation of yesterday, so to speak. Out of this, I gather that history is not just a strand of events with varying importance; the study of history takes place to understand the connection between any and every event that has taken place, including contemporary happenings. It is now clear that historical events are important not because of how many lives were lost, or what controversial events took place, but due to their impact on us today. Questions pile up after this concept has been grasped, such as “what would life be like if we had never split from Britain?” and "what would have happened if the not all states ratified the Constitution?" In order to back up any opinion of such matters, a thorough understanding of happenings throughout time must be present.

Similarities between the past and the present begin to unfold once historical texts are analyzed as more than simple events. For example, during George Washington’s term as president, he stated that the United States should veer away from a dual party system. This may seem like a mere statement from a former president, but that'd be a completely above the surface observation. What’s really interesting about that is we are currently split into two main categories throughout the country: democratic and republican. Washington feared that such a system would divide the country in half, and in a way, it has. The way George Washington foresaw this becoming a problem really speaks integrated the past and present are. Yes, time has progressed and today is a much different society than it was in the 1800s. However, we are still facing the same problems that eighteenth century American citizens faced.

Not only do historical events relate to things that have happened today, or recently, they also connect to happenings from any moment in time, or at least during human existence. One great example of this is a connection made between World War II and the Holocaust. During Hitler’s reign over Nazi Germany, his followers took people from their homes simply because he persuaded them to. Adolf Hitler told those who stood behind him to send people, specifically Jews, to concentration camps, where they were to live out the rest of their lives. Those captives underwent numerous different torture techniques, and millions died simply because they were ordered to. Now, is that any different from World War II, when the US took Japanese people, even ones that have lived in America their entire lives, and brought them to concentration camps? The same basic principles are there: Jewish and Japanese people were both tortured simply because of the way they were born, and they were taken by people who only did so because they were persuaded that it was the right thing. This connection, along with the numerous others that are out there ready to be discovered, shows that the past is still relevant.

Once the connections are made, it will become clear that all events, whether from the past, present, or even future, are relevant to one another. Simply because something happened a long time ago does not mean it will not happen again, nor does it confirm that a single event will not be impacted by a prior occurrence. History isn’t taught simply to study past events, but to allow one to make links between different events throughout time. Once the ability to connect episodes from the past and present is attained, one will be better prepared for the future. Michel Foucault’s statement speaks to this thought that you should look at the past as “the history of the present.” Questions do begin to accumulate after this idea is grasped, but only when implementing these ideas can we begin to formulate answers or educated speculation. Writing and studying history cannot be escaped, because they are so firmly ingrained within life itself; the need for understanding the past, present, and one another, separates man from any other animal.