The Poppy Fields

The Poppy Fields is a work of speculative fiction whose interest in memory manipulation places it squarely within a subgenre of texts and films that investigate memory erasure, both natural and forced. These works ask big-picture questions about how memory shapes identity and the role that memory plays in the human experience. This is a broad subcategory within science fiction and speculative fiction, and examples abound of films and texts that approach the issue of memory in different ways.

One noteworthy example of a book or film that depicts memory erasure as a way to accelerate the grieving or healing process is the 2004 film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. It follows the couple Joel and Clementine through their stormy relationship and its aftermath. In the wake of their breakup, Clementine decides to undergo an experimental memory-erasure procedure to rid herself of her memories of Joel. In surreal scenes that blur the boundary between dream and reality, Joel and Clementine meet somewhere in their unconscious: Their bond was strong enough to survive memory erasure, and they ultimately meet again in real life. They are still drawn to each other, and even when they find out that they have already dated and had their memories of each other erased, they choose to stay together.