Memory and the Past Quotes in Cloud Atlas

Through writing his memoirs, Cavendish is exploring the true power of memory. A strong memory is almost like time travel. It's no different to Cavendish, who thinks he's actually gone back in time.

Our memories greatly affect our actions and perceptions. But what if you don't have memories? The fabricant servers of Papa Song's get to live life as if every day were brand new. Sounds kind of nice—but totally scary at the same time.

When telling a story, there's a temptation to change the past. You can do it when you change the story, but does that change what really happened?