Irish history is something no Englishman should forget and no Irishman should remember.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Shaw suggests English should acknowledge their role in Irish history while Irish should focus on the present rather than dwelling on past grievances.
- In plain terms
- Remember the past to learn from it, but don't let it define your future.
- What can you take from it?
- Learn from history without being trapped by it.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How does remembering history help or hinder progress?
- When should a society choose to forget?
Another view
It oversimplifies the complex emotional needs of collective memory.
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