In his poem, Memory, Chris van Wyk explores the themes of traumatic memory, motherhood and home, with reference to an event in the speaker's childhood, which leaves his mother seriously injured. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The poem begins with a description of a happy, relaxed kitchen scene. The speaker plays on the floor; his little brother is sitting at the table; his mother is cooking. We have the impression that this is a happy family. It can be assumed that they are not rich: the mother cooks on a primus and they use candles, so they probably can't afford electricity. In addition to this, the speaker declares the family “rich” when he sees the large vetkoeks that look like “puffed gold coins.” If they were rich, they wouldn't feel the need to use these images. Despite the lack of material wealth, they appear to be rich in other ways, such as happiness. The mother keeps the children close while cooking, which gives the impression of a close-knit family that loves spending time together. The speaker refers to his parents as “Mom” and “Dad.” These are terms of affection, as opposed to the detachment of mother and father. Therefore, we get the impression that he has great love for his parents. Overall, the theme of home starts out very warm, but the image of this happy home is tainted by impending trauma. The traumatic memory discussed in this poem is that – when a frying pan falls and sends a stream of boiling oil towards her baby – the mother extends her arm to stop him from reaching Derek. In protecting her child, she causes great harm to herself. His "wild scream" creates an image of how intense his pain must be. We know that there is a large amount of oil and that it is very hot, because it is described as a “seething flood”. The speaker states that he has never written down this memory before and implies that this is because it was too painful. Further evidence of this is presented in the final stanza, when he says that his wound "cauterizes my childhood like a long scar." This event is so traumatic that it remains sealed in his memory, the same way her wound is sealed by fire. The “long scar” tells us that this image never leaves him. It will leave him traumatized forever, the same way the accident will leave her scarred forever. Motherhood is a strong theme in this poem, as a mother's love is the reason for the accident that occurs. Driven by her love for her son and her desire to protect him, this mother will do anything, including harming herself, to keep him safe. This is why he throws himself in front of the oil before it reaches him. Derek is described as a “chirping bird” and we are told that he is sucking on a pacifier. Portraying it as a bird makes it seem very small and fragile. We can assume that he is quite young and therefore even more in need of protection. The speaker is a little older and can recognize danger and run away from it. Derek, however, needs to be told to move away. Even while suffering excruciatingly, the mother remains calm, “so as not to ruffle his feathers.” We can see that she takes her role as a mother very seriously and readily accepts the main mission of motherhood: keeping your children safe. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Personalize Essay Overall, the themes of home, traumatic memory, and motherhood are vividly present in Memory. Using strong imagery helps express both sides of this..