ABSTRACT
We rely on our memory to keep in mind the unique sequence of events that constitutes a story as it progresses. Without it the story would become a series of unrelated experiences. The narrator also relies on the ability of the audience or reader to remember many other things, from the meaning of the words employed to the significance in the shared culture of things to which the story refers. The connection between memory and narrative goes even deeper. It is not just that we can remember stories or remember things that help us understand them. Unless adversely affected by trauma of some kind, we have a memory of who we are ourselves that is inextricably narrative in structure. This chapter will consider several aspects of memory and conclude by describing the narrative aspect of consciousness.
