History is frequently thought of only as dates, events and people, but in actuality it consists a great deal of the interpretations of the historians who studied and researched these events and data. Because it has a great deal to do with the interpretations of historians and the elites I believe in general history is fixed, not only with the chronology and events that took place but also in the interpretations of the historians. The idea that we as a whole can change history thus proving that history is fluid and changeable is very fluffy and light way of portraying history. .
The authors of "Approaching the West" state that history is not a "fixed" idea and that "we" as a whole make history in our interpretation and the things we do add to the making of history. "As we change throughout our lives and from generation to generation -as we are different from our parents and grandparents and as our children and grandchildren will be different from us -so history changes." .
History becomes more of a fixed idea due to the fact that history is produced and becomes unchangeable by the elites and not the idea that "we" make History. There is no opportunity that "we" the general public can add our analysis and observation of history, so in the most part history is fixed by the elites deciding what will be taught and becomes the facts of history. .
First of all, a big part of history is made by the interpretations and analysis of the historians, it is their opinion of what took place and their perspective that is then written as facts and thus taught as "history". This has nothing to do with all of "us" as was written in the article, "The facts about what happened may not change, but how we interpret those facts changes and will develop as people and their cultures continue to change over time." .
With the notion that history is not a fixed idea, history becomes vague; "Approaching the West" gives the assumption that "History is what we make of it" although there is some slight true to this statement in the general understanding of history and in looking at the past we can clearer see that it is the assumptions of the historians and the elites ideas that is then made into history.