The state of being called nostalgia has a history fraught with ambiguity and poetical connotation. In the late 17th century, nostalgic reminiscences were thought to be the symptoms of a deadly disease that shook one's mind and body. Today, we view nostalgia not as a medical condition, but as a bittersweet recollection of one's past joys and sorrows--the memories and treasures of an earlier self. And yet, there remains a category of individuals for whom such recollection can be seriously problematic: immigrants. In Yesterday's Self, Andreea Ritivoi explores the philosophical and historical dimensions of nostalgia in the lives of immigrants, forging a connection between current trends in the philosophy of identity and intercultural studies. The book considers such questions as, Does attachment to one's native culture preclude or merely influence adaptation into a new culture? Do we fashion our identity in interdependence with others, or do we shape it in a non-contingent frame? Is it possible to assimilate in an unfamiliar world without risking self-alienation? Ritivoi's response: nostalgia is both the poison and the cure in such situations. Documenting the tribulations of sojourners and immigrants, Yesterday's Self illustrates how and why the cultural adjustment of immigrants can only happen when personal identity is understood as a quest for continuity in one's life story, even alongside the most radical cultural rupture. Ultimately, reflection on the nostalgic experience reveals insights into the nature of the self and its dynamic engagement with otherness and difference.
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Ritivoi's insights in Yesterday's Self are brilliant, groundbreaking, and profoundly correct. I am especially impressed with her literally beautiful and beautifully literary use of personal stories. One doesn't usually find such sensitivity or rich description in discussions of identity, at least not in philosophical discussions. (Thomas Wren )
In this interesting and well-written book, Ritivoi makes a significant contribution to our understanding of immigration, memory, and nostalgia. (Sociology )
Yesterday's Self offers a lively and profound investigation of a slippery condition that is nonetheless ubiquitous in this age of mobility and displacement. It is a great pleasure to read a scholarly inquiry that is readable, lively, and fresh. Ritivoi has brought into English, with scholarly brio, the Romanian word 'dor,' and given it an amplitude that it never had beyond its balkan world. (Andrei Codrescu )
In this interesting and well-written book, Ritivoi makes a significant contribution to our understanding of immigration, memory, and nostalgia. (Sociology )
Yesterday's Self offers a lively and profound investigation of a slippery condition that is nonetheless ubiquitous in this age of mobility and displacement. It is a great pleasure to read a scholarly inquiry that is readable, lively, and fresh. Ritivoi has brought into English, with scholarly brio, the Romanian word 'dor,' and given it an amplitude that it never had beyond its balkan world. (Andrei Codrescu )
About the Author
Andreea Deciu Ritivoi is assistant professor of English and rhetoric at Carnegie Mellon University. She has previously published The Tale of a Lost City: Demolished Homes in Bucharest and The Other as Myself: Essays on Personal Identity.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
insightful exploration of identity,
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This review is from: Yesterday's Self: Nostalgia and the Construction of Personal Identity (Paperback)
because of its philosophical nature, this book can be steep reading at times, but it is well worth it, especially if you are a refugee, immigrant, exile or displaced person who has had an issue with adaptation and nostalgia (homesickness) coupled with a need to understand. (or if you are someone who is working with people who fall into one of these populations.)the author draws from philosophers, memoirists and novelists to make her points, draw her distinctions, and constellate the phenomenon of identity in the midst of change. in a way, this book has something to uncover for everyone, because who among us has not felt changed by the experiences, especially the traumas, of our lives? i found this to be an informative, intriguing exploration of identity from which I gained a great deal of insight.
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