Yoko Ogawa’s The Memory Police has a plot that makes one wonder why they are trying to make everyone forget all of the information they’ve retained over their lifetime. One’s mind begins to wonder why the Memory Police would be doing this to the people who live on this island. Some may think that by having people go missing and then die at headquarters, it is almost like they are wanting to kill off this land so it no longer exists.
People — and I’m no exception — seem capable of forgetting almost anything, much as if our island were unable to float in anything but an expanse of totally empty sea. (10)
With the Memory Police testing the people of the island and sending them notices that they are to come to the headquarters, it seems like this is their way of getting those who have all of the knowledge off of the island. They are getting rid of these people who have made these findings so that they are not able to teach them to others who live there.
They weren’t interested in my name and address; they were testing me. (107)
When the Memory Police come back and take the files to dispose of them, this shows that they don’t want the people to be learning those findings of the other people. They don’t want people to be gaining any memories of what has been happening or that has happened.
When they had finished sorting through everything, they took the items piled on the floor and shoved them into large black plastic bags they pulled from pockets inside their jackets. It was clear from the brutal way they stuffed the bags that they were going to dispose of everything they took. (14)
Ogawa puts everyone on pins and needles, as they are waiting to see who gets summoned next. She creates this when she has everyone stop and watch the Memory Police pull a few people out of a safe house. Also, she does it by having the summons. By having people get these summons, she is creating a suspense that makes you want to keep reading to see how many more people get a summons to go to the headquarters.
It’s great that you point out or rather question why it is that the memory police are doing this to the citizens of this island. However, as we have noticed in the past with the fantastic, these author aren’t trying to give you an answer, they aren’t trying to explain themselves or their story, but really have you focus on what is happening instead of why.