History ButForMeItWasTuesday / Literature

* In ''Literature/SixofCrows'' by Creator/LeighBardugo, protagonist Kaz's entire life has been shaped by [[spoiler: the con gang boss Pekka Rollins pulled on him and his brother that resulted in his brother dying.]] A flashback reveals that less than a month after it happened, Rollins didn't even recognize Kaz when he tried to confront him. After this, Kaz is motivated not only by his desire for {{revenge}}, but to make sure that when he teaches Rollins a lesson, it's one Rollins ''never'' forgets.

* In ''Discworld/InterestingTimes'', near the end of the book, Twoflower is quite aware that Lord Hong has no idea he was the cause of his wife's death, but he insists on fighting him anyway. Twoflower says that the fact that Hong didn't know makes it worse.

* In ''Six of Crows'' by Creator/LeighBardugo, protagonist Kaz's entire life has been shaped by [[spoiler: the con gang boss Pekka Rollins pulled on him and his brother that resulted in his brother dying.]] A flashback reveals that less than a month after it happened, Rollins didn't even recognize Kaz when he tried to confront him.

* OlderThanTelevision: In the short story "The Procurator of Judea" (published in 1902) by Anatole France, the last line is spoken by a retired Pontius Pilate:

* Inverted (somewhat) in ''Literature/SoonIWillBeInvincible'' in which the HeroAntagonist doesn't remember the VillainProtagonist or his reasons for seeking vengeance.
** And then ZigZagged when it turns out that in the villain's obsession with the hero he himself has completely forgotten about [[spoiler: Lily AKA Erica]]

* Non-villainous example in Creator/TamoraPierce's [[Literature/TortallUniverse Protector of the Small Quartet]]. [[TheHero Kel]] has a fear of heights due to her brother dangling her over the edge of a tall tower when they were kids. When speaking about it, she says that the worst part was when she spoke to him about it: he didn't remember.

* In ''Literature/TheKiteRunner'', Assef, the main antagonist, recounts the abuse he took at the hands of the Soviet occupiers of Afghanistan. Later, he encounters the Soviet officer who beat him in prison and kills him. The officer does not remember Assef, but Assef informs him that "I do not forget a face." Something of a borderline example in that Assef is very evil and depraved but in that particular case just [[EvilVersusEvil another victim of the war and its cruelties.]]

* ''Literature/CodexAlera'': A heroic version. In the backstory, the late Princeps Septimus, sole heir to throne, was not only a powerful mage comparable to the reigning First Lord, his father, but a genuinely good man. He could not stand by and watch as abuses happened in the lands he would one day rule, from the abuse of the magically-stronger Citizens over the weaker commoners, to slavery, to the idea of marriage for simple political and genetic gains. He fought for the downtrodden, sought to end slavery, and [[spoiler:rejects the arraigned marriage his father set up with a magically-strong and smart noblewoman in favor of wedding a commoner he has fallen for]]. The people he helps, and those who oppose him angered, are many, so he can't remember them all. [[spoiler:They, however, do remember and enter into a cabal to kill him. It includes not only his spurned fiance, but two powerful High Lords, second in rank and status to the First Lord. They succeed]].

* Literature/TheWheelOfTime had the [[HopelessWar Aiel War]]. When King Laman of Cairhien Cut down the ''Avendoraldera'', the tree that the mysterious desertdwelling Aiel-people had given his people as an sign of friendship hundreds of year earlier in order to carve himself a throne, four of the twelve Aiel Clans crossed the Dragonwall and invaded the Westlands. For the Westlands It was the greatest war they had seen in centuries, uniting almost every country under one banner that was stil unable to stop the Aiel horde. To the Aiel it was simply the execution of the Oathbreaker King Laman, and once they succeded in that they turned around, returning to their desert without giving any of the lands they had conqured a second glance.

* In ''[[Literature/MonsterHunterInternational Monster Hunter Nemesis]]'', this is Franks's reaction when [[spoiler: Earl]] accuses him of killing his LoveInterest:
-->'''[[spoiler: Earl]]:''' "YOU KILLED HER!"
-->'''Franks:''' "Who? Narrow it down for me."

* In ''Literature/TheKiteRunner'', Assef, the main antagonist, recounts the abuse he took at the hands of the Soviet occupiers of Afghanistan. Later, he encounters the Soviet officer who beat him in prison and kills him. The officer does not remember Assef, but Assef informs him that "I do not forget a face." Something of a borderline example in that the war pretty much fell into BlackAndGrayMorality by that point (in Assef's case, somewhere beyond black).

** In an earlier book, Harry wakes up from a nightmare, and Seamus just casually asks if Harry's being attacked again.

* ''RealmOfTheElderlings'' takes place in a fantasy kingdom composed of six duchies- four coastal, two inland. The royal family is based in a coastal duchy. In one throwaway conversation in the first book, Chade grumbles to Fitz that the people blame the king for everything from "bad weather to fires". In the third book, Fitz travels inland and discovers that, years ago, huge swaths of vital farmland were ravaged by fire and have never recovered, causing widespread hardship and economic depression. Fitz then realises just how out of touch the coast and inland are with each other- for the coast the fire was a minor annoyance, but to the people living there, "it must have seemed like the [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt end of the world]]"

** In an earlier book, Harry wakes up from a nightmare on Seamus just casually asks if Harry's being attacked again.

* Literature/TheWheelOfTime had the [[HopelessWar Aiel War]]. When King Laman of Cairhien Cut down the ''Avendoraldera'', the tree that the mysterious desertdwelling Aiel-people had given his people as an sign of friendship hundreds of year earlier in order to carve himself a throne, four of the twelve Aiel Clans crossed the Dragonwall and invaded the Westlands. For the Westlands It was the greatest war they had sen in centuries, uniting almost every country under one banner that was stil unable to stop the Aiel horde. To the Aiel it was simply the execution of the Oathbreaker King Laman, and once they succeded in that they turned around, returning to their desert without giving any of the lands they had conqured a second glance.

* Literature/TheWheelOfTime had the [[HopelessWar Aiel War]]. When King Laman of Cairhien Cut down the ''Avendoraldera'', the tree that the mysterious desertdwelling Aiel-people had given his people as an sign of friendship hundreds of year earlier in order to carve himself a throne, four of the twelve Aiel Clans crossed the Dragonwall and invaded the Westlands. For the Westlands It was the greatest war they had sen in centuries, uniting almost every country under one banner that was stil unable to stop the Aiwl horde. To the Aiel it was simply the execution of the Oathbreaker King Laman, and once they succeded in that they turned around, returning to their desert without giving and of the lands they had conqured a second glance.

* Literature/TheWheelOfTime had the [[HopelessWar Aiel War]]. When King Laman of Cairhien Cut down the Tree that the mysterious desertdwelling Aiel-people had given his people as an sign of friendship hundreds of year earlier in order to carve himself a throne, four of the twelve Aiel Clans crossed the Dragonwall and invaded the Westlands. For the Westlands IT was the greatest war they had sen in centuries, uniting almost every country under one banner that was stil unable to stop the Aiwl horde. To the Aiel it was simply the execution of the Oathbreaker King Laman, and once they succeded in that they turned around, returning to their desert without giving and of the lands they had conqured a second glance.

** [[spoiler:During Oberyn Martell and Ser Gregor Clegane's fight, Oberyn reminds Gregor that he raped and murdered Elia Martell, Oberyn's sister, and killed her children. Gregor replies with "Who?" Thanks to Oberyn's [[StopSayingThat constant, incessant reminders]], Gregor eventually does remember, and before he kills Oberyn he acknowledges that he murdered Elia's chldren, ''then'' raped her, and then killed her. [[InThatOrder He wants Oberyn to know the order it happened]]. It's somewhat unusual he needs reminding, given that this wasn't just some random atrocity out of the many he's committed, but the wife of Prince Rhaegar Targaryen and ''kind of important''. You'd think even DumbMuscle like Gregor would have remembered something like that.]]

** [[spoiler:During Oberyn Martell and Ser Gregor Clegane's fight, Oberyn reminds Gregor that he raped and murdered Elia Martell, Oberyn's sister, and killed her children. Gregor replies with "Who?" Thanks to Oberyn's [[StopSayingThat constant, incessant reminders]], Gregor eventually does remember, and before he kills Oberyn he acknowledges that he murdered Elia's chldren, ''then'' raped her, and then killed her. [[InThatOrder He wants Oberyn to know the order it happened]].]] It's somewhat unusual he needs reminding, given that this wasn't just some random atrocity out of the many he's committed, but the wife of Prince Rhaegar Targaryen and ''kind of important''. You'd think even DumbMuscle like Gregor would have remembered something like that.