The Apology and the (Im)Possibility of Forgiveness in Tan Twan Eng’s The Garden of Evening Mists

This paper inquires into the apology and the (im)possibility of forgiveness in Tan Twan Eng’s The Garden of Evening Mists. The novel recounts the memories of the sole survivor of an internment camp, Theo Yun Ling, who returns to the highlands of present-day Malaysia, and creates a memorial for her sister, who was buried alive as a comfort woman in the camp. Yun Ling, now an elderly retired judge, confronts Japanese historian Yoshikawa Tatsuji. Although Yun Ling recognizes that the traumatic events of the past are irreparable, she has nevertheless been waiting for an apology from the perpetrators. Most of these perpetrators, however, are not portrayed as inhuman villains; but as victims caught up in the machine of war. Victimhood, appropriated by the perpetrators, serves as a useful tool for exploring the illusion of Japanese national memory and the rationale for denying victims an apology. However Yun Ling’s recollections cast her as an accomplice to the Japanese military. At this point, Yun Ling's shame is captured through Primo Levi’s ‘grey zone,’ confirming that the emotion of shame is a continual process of self-censorship aimed at moral awakening. This paper concludes with a reference to Derrida’s thoughts on forgiveness, calling for memory toward the future and the ethical responsibility of remembering.