Suffering is man’s best friend. Sorrow, guilt, deception, and all other emotions that make a person feel miserable and useless are all byproducts of suffering and the lack of happiness in one’s life. All of these result in longing, or the desire to live a more comfortable, better life that will produce the outcomes a certain individual needs in order to be able to carry out a happy existence. Happiness, therefore, is man’s worst enemy. It is a mere illusion that restlessly disturbs our consciences, a desire that will never be fully achieved. The absence of happiness leads to suffering, which becomes a person’s permanent companion and the sole unchanging aspect of their lives. “Yes, thought Wilhelm, suffering is the only kind of life they are sure they can have, and if they quit suffering they’re afraid they’ll have nothing.” (p. 94). When suffering ceases to exist, all aspects of the world we are accustomed to live in tumble down as well. Happiness can be defined as a utopia, an ideological paradise which will never be able to materialize and come into existence; thus, when suffering vanishes from our lives we are left with a void, an emptiness only the perpetual, incessant suffering can fill.
Apart from the insights on solitude, Seize the Day also exposed the complex paradox of need and abundance: “They don’t need therefore they have. I need, therefore I don’t have. That would be too easy.” (p. 97). This passage is trying to communicate life’s relativity when faced with different mental conditions. An individual who does not need anything in life will greet any insignificant benefit as a surplus that will contribute to construct his life and improve his conditions. A person who has his mind permanently fixed on the need to acquire more will welcome a fortune as a worthless acquisition which is unable to entirely fill the gap he has fabricated in his mind. When one has his mind fixed on the need to obtain something, everything else in life becomes scarce and insufficient; however, when one expects nothing, anything else will come as a present and an addition that will contribute to make his existence more plentiful.
The ending of the novel was not what I expected. In fact, Wilhelm did nothing in order to “seize the day.” At the end of the book, Wilhelm had gotten nowhere in life. He still possessed this inconsumable desire, this void in life which, according to the previous paragraph, would never be able to fill itself up. Bellow says that this character “…sank deeper than sorrow, through torn sobs and cries toward the consummation of his heart’s ultimate need.” (p. 114). The reader is left with many unanswered questions. Did Wilhelm lacking everything or did he need something specific? If so, what did he need? The words “his heart’s ultimate need” revolve around a very ambiguous concept. Tommy Wilhelm’s life lacked everything from love to stability to purposefulness. When he exclaimed to his father “‘You don’t give the little bit I beg you for.’” (p. 106), Wilhelm was talking about his need for love, even if this manifestation involved the demonstration of the most insignificant action which could reveal that Dr. Adler did, in fact, care for him. Wilhelm, devastated by Tamkin’s untrustworthiness and fluctuant attitude, had the necessity to ensure a little stability in his life. The constant increase and decrease in stock marked prices symbolized the unstable conditions this character was forced to live with; thus, Wilhelm was in desperate need of someone or something he could trust and rely on in times of crisis. In addition to this, the character of Wilhelm was deprived of a fixed goal in life he was set to accomplish, something that would differ him from all other individuals and make him a separate, independent character. Right before entering the church, Wilhelm recalled seeing a “…great crowd, pouring out, pressing round, of every age, of every genius, possessors of every human secret, antique and future, in every face the refinement of one particular motive or essence - I labor, I spend, I strive, I design, I love, I cling, I uphold, I give way, I envy, I long, I scorn, I die, I hide, I want.” (p. 111). All but Tommy Wilhelm, already in his mid-forties, possessed a certain characteristic that distinguished them from all other individuals. His heart’s ultimate need could have been the necessity of being someone, anyone in life. All of these needs rely on a tangible object or person in order to fulfill themselves. Materialism demanded Wilhelm to live a plentiful life where financial success was paralleled by an appearance of stability. Wilhelm needed to thrive in his social relations towards other individuals, such as his father, and in his economic relations with money and wealth as well.
When viewed from a more abstract, sentimental approach, the concepts of "seize the day" and the main character's ultimate need vary. Wilhelm needed to be an individual who, unlike his father, would be able to express his feelings in whatever way he desired without experiencing any shame or remorse. As an attack to materialistic society, Bellow might have created in Wilhelm a true human being who lived life not for the stake of money but for the well-being of his emotional self. The phrase "seize the day," then, adopts a totally different meaning. Success is not measured by the amount of material goods one manages to secure in life, but by one's ability to be oneself at any desired moment. Sobs and tears are not a sign of weakness, but rather a proof of one's ability to relieve the burdens one carries inside the soul. "...Dad, I just can't breathe. My chest is all up - I feel choked. I just simply can't catch my breath." (p. 105). In the end, this character managed to eliminate the suffocating feeling that congested his body and soul. The triumph of human nature over the modern, mechanical world was symbolized in Wilhelm's break-down at the church. It is true that Tommy Wilhelm's life lacked love, confidence, and purposefulness, but these, like tears, are simply aspects that distinguish us humans from any other ordinary machine. Suffering and neediness add spark and meaning to our lives, making of this entire experience an opportunity to highlight our separate, individualistic natures and "seize the day."
lunes, 28 de abril de 2008
Personal Development in a Gilded, Consumerist Society: Seize the Day, Chapters III - V
Like Oedipa Maas in The Crying of Lot 49, Tommy Wilhelm in Seize the Day undergoes a personal development which is far more controversial and significant than the plot of the novel per say. This progressive improvement in behavior and analytical capacities in Wilhelm’s life changes dramatically from chapter to chapter. For example, in Chapter Three, this character sees his existence as something miserable and laments his situation in life. “‘Oh, Dad, Dad, what a hole I’m in!’ said Wilhelm in utter misery… Wilhelm took hold of his broad throat with brown-stained fingers and bitten nails and began to choke himself… neither can you and I be compared, because you, Dad, were a success. And a success – is a success. I never made a success.” (pgs. 45, 48). The main character of the novel expresses pity for himself in the way he acts and talks. He defines himself as a failure in life who never managed to accomplish anything worthwhile. In addition to this, Bellow makes sure that Wilhelm’s appearance remains devastated and wretched. The connotation of the words “brown-stained fingers” and “bitten nails” not only symbolizes Wilhelm’s anti-hygienic customs, but also represents this character’s downcast view of himself. The lack of care for his physical appearance implies that Wilhelm has become completely indifferent to his thoughts and emotions as well.
Wilhelm’s rational capacity and mental state show a significant improvement in the next chapter:
“…he received a suggestion from some remote element in his thoughts that the business of life, the real business – to carry his peculiar burden, to feel shame and impotence, to taste these quelled tears – the only important business, the highest business was being done. Maybe the making of mistakes expressed the very purpose of his life and the essence of his being here.” (p. 52).
Wilhelm ceased to feel pity for himself by reflecting about the purpose of life and our existence here on Earth. Misery was not a burden any more, but rather a necessity. Feeling depressed and insignificant, as Wilhelm now reflected, is a person’s sole goal and purpose while his existence on the planet. According to this philosophy, Wilhelm’s misfortunes were not caused by his impotence and failures, but by his necessity to fulfill “the business of life.”
Following Tamkin’s advise to focus on the present and “Seize the day.” (p. 62), Wilhelm proceeded to take advantage of the opportunities life presented him with. Chapter Five was inaugurated with Wilhelm’s conviction to redress the mistakes he had committed in life. “He believed that he must, that he could and would recover the good things, the happy things, the easy tranquil things of life. He had made mistakes, but he could overlook these.” (p. 74). By adopting a totally different attitude that related accordingly to the title of the work, Tommy Wilhelm began to take advantage of the present situations life offered him. He began taking an active role in every situation that concerned him, for example the price of lard and his investments on this product. Thus, the character began to “seize the day,” take advantage of every opportunity, learn something meaningful from every occurrence, and struggle in order to achieve “the best possible outcome” out of the present situation.
Apart from illustrating the change the character of Wilhelm underwent, Seize the Day also criticizes the consumerist, materialistic world of the 1950’s. “‘They burn up the world – oil, coal, wood, metal, and soil, and suck even the air and sky. They consume, and they give back no benefit. A man like you, humble for life, who wants to feel and live, has trouble – not wanting.’” (p. 77). Money and corruption is mentioned everywhere. Even Wilhelm himself, who despises money and criticizes his father for the value he places on wealth, is forced to live his life at mercy of the stock market and the changes in the prices of lard and rye. Bellow is trying to promote a society in which abstract, intangible feelings, not material goods, are the basis to become someone important and significant in life. “‘If thou cans not love, what art thou?’… ‘What art thou?’ Nothing. That’s the answer.” (p. 66). Love is the purest of all emotions and the one which demands the most sacrifice as well; however, sorrow, not love, is the feeling humans depend upon in life:
“Come then, Sorrow!
Sweetest Sorrow!
Like an own babe I nurse thee on my breast!
I thought to leave thee,
And deceive thee,
But now of all the world I love thee best.” (pgs. 85-86).
This poem illustrates a person’s desperate want of sorrow. By using the adjective “sweetest,” the author praises and glorifies this emotion by making it more likeable than all the rest. Like a babe, sorrow is naturally attached and dependent on oneself. It relies on an individual to nurse him and keep him alive within him. Even though it sometimes becomes a burden for us in life and sparks the wish to “leave” and “deceive” it, sorrow becomes a person’s best friend and most devoted love. By behaving as such, this emotion assumes the role of staying with us permanently. Since it is impossible to get rid of it, it is easier to deal with it as something we desire rather than despise. Sorrow becomes part of our lives. The constant feeling of sorrow, distress, and misery only leaves room in our minds for longing. Longing, as seen with Wilhelm, materializes itself into actions that we perform in life in order to retrieve a state of stability and security; henceforth, sorrow is a permanent emotion that drives our behavior and initiative to succeed and “seize the day.”
Wilhelm’s rational capacity and mental state show a significant improvement in the next chapter:
“…he received a suggestion from some remote element in his thoughts that the business of life, the real business – to carry his peculiar burden, to feel shame and impotence, to taste these quelled tears – the only important business, the highest business was being done. Maybe the making of mistakes expressed the very purpose of his life and the essence of his being here.” (p. 52).
Wilhelm ceased to feel pity for himself by reflecting about the purpose of life and our existence here on Earth. Misery was not a burden any more, but rather a necessity. Feeling depressed and insignificant, as Wilhelm now reflected, is a person’s sole goal and purpose while his existence on the planet. According to this philosophy, Wilhelm’s misfortunes were not caused by his impotence and failures, but by his necessity to fulfill “the business of life.”
Following Tamkin’s advise to focus on the present and “Seize the day.” (p. 62), Wilhelm proceeded to take advantage of the opportunities life presented him with. Chapter Five was inaugurated with Wilhelm’s conviction to redress the mistakes he had committed in life. “He believed that he must, that he could and would recover the good things, the happy things, the easy tranquil things of life. He had made mistakes, but he could overlook these.” (p. 74). By adopting a totally different attitude that related accordingly to the title of the work, Tommy Wilhelm began to take advantage of the present situations life offered him. He began taking an active role in every situation that concerned him, for example the price of lard and his investments on this product. Thus, the character began to “seize the day,” take advantage of every opportunity, learn something meaningful from every occurrence, and struggle in order to achieve “the best possible outcome” out of the present situation.
Apart from illustrating the change the character of Wilhelm underwent, Seize the Day also criticizes the consumerist, materialistic world of the 1950’s. “‘They burn up the world – oil, coal, wood, metal, and soil, and suck even the air and sky. They consume, and they give back no benefit. A man like you, humble for life, who wants to feel and live, has trouble – not wanting.’” (p. 77). Money and corruption is mentioned everywhere. Even Wilhelm himself, who despises money and criticizes his father for the value he places on wealth, is forced to live his life at mercy of the stock market and the changes in the prices of lard and rye. Bellow is trying to promote a society in which abstract, intangible feelings, not material goods, are the basis to become someone important and significant in life. “‘If thou cans not love, what art thou?’… ‘What art thou?’ Nothing. That’s the answer.” (p. 66). Love is the purest of all emotions and the one which demands the most sacrifice as well; however, sorrow, not love, is the feeling humans depend upon in life:
“Come then, Sorrow!
Sweetest Sorrow!
Like an own babe I nurse thee on my breast!
I thought to leave thee,
And deceive thee,
But now of all the world I love thee best.” (pgs. 85-86).
This poem illustrates a person’s desperate want of sorrow. By using the adjective “sweetest,” the author praises and glorifies this emotion by making it more likeable than all the rest. Like a babe, sorrow is naturally attached and dependent on oneself. It relies on an individual to nurse him and keep him alive within him. Even though it sometimes becomes a burden for us in life and sparks the wish to “leave” and “deceive” it, sorrow becomes a person’s best friend and most devoted love. By behaving as such, this emotion assumes the role of staying with us permanently. Since it is impossible to get rid of it, it is easier to deal with it as something we desire rather than despise. Sorrow becomes part of our lives. The constant feeling of sorrow, distress, and misery only leaves room in our minds for longing. Longing, as seen with Wilhelm, materializes itself into actions that we perform in life in order to retrieve a state of stability and security; henceforth, sorrow is a permanent emotion that drives our behavior and initiative to succeed and “seize the day.”
jueves, 24 de abril de 2008
Corrections on Previous Blogs
“Outage”
“Outage,” a short story by John Updike, reflects the monotonous existence people of the XXIst century are accustomed to have, an existence where electricity, technology, and sex are the only elements that constitute their reality.
“Outage,” a short story by John Updike, reflects the monotonous existence people of the XXIst century are accustomed to have. Electricity, technology, and sex are the only elements that constitute their reality.
Candide, Chapters XXI - XXX
Pangloss remained as stubborn as ever. Although he still defended his philosophy that “‘all is for the best in the best of all possible worlds’.” (back cover), Pangloss ceased to believe in it and, therefore, undermined its entire foundations.
Pangloss remained as stubborn as ever; although he still defended his philosophy that “‘all is for the best in the best of all possible worlds’.” (back cover), Pangloss ceased to believe in it and, therefore, undermined its entire foundations.
Candide, Chapters XVI - XX
Candide is accepting a pragmatic approach to life, where true facts and events, not simple inferences with nor credibility or evidence at all, mold the mind’s reasoning.
Candide is accepting a pragmatic approach to life, where true facts and events, not simple inferences with no credibility or evidence at all, mold the mind’s reasoning.
“Outage,” a short story by John Updike, reflects the monotonous existence people of the XXIst century are accustomed to have, an existence where electricity, technology, and sex are the only elements that constitute their reality.
“Outage,” a short story by John Updike, reflects the monotonous existence people of the XXIst century are accustomed to have. Electricity, technology, and sex are the only elements that constitute their reality.
Candide, Chapters XXI - XXX
Pangloss remained as stubborn as ever. Although he still defended his philosophy that “‘all is for the best in the best of all possible worlds’.” (back cover), Pangloss ceased to believe in it and, therefore, undermined its entire foundations.
Pangloss remained as stubborn as ever; although he still defended his philosophy that “‘all is for the best in the best of all possible worlds’.” (back cover), Pangloss ceased to believe in it and, therefore, undermined its entire foundations.
Candide, Chapters XVI - XX
Candide is accepting a pragmatic approach to life, where true facts and events, not simple inferences with nor credibility or evidence at all, mold the mind’s reasoning.
Candide is accepting a pragmatic approach to life, where true facts and events, not simple inferences with no credibility or evidence at all, mold the mind’s reasoning.
Victimization’s Camouflage: Seize the Day, Chapters I - II
Tommy Wilhelm, best described as a failure in life, possesses no similarity whatsoever with the title of the book, Seize the Day. His life is composed of losses and misfortunes but, most importantly, of a profound, deep-rooted resentment towards his father, Dr. Adler. Although Wilhelm is constantly criticizing the old man’s polite, hypocritical behavior, there is never really any tangible proof to demonstrate Dr. Adler’s supposed evil nature. Wilhelm’s criticisms about his father’s personality are powerful and extremist, yet possess no base to support them or add credibility to his inferences. “After any talk with Dr. Adler, Wilhelm generally felt dissatisfied, and his dissatisfaction reached its greatest intensity when they discussed family matters. Ostensibly he had been trying to help the old man to remember a date, but in reality he meant to tell him, ‘You were set free when Ma died. You wanted to forget her. Me, too.’” (p. 26). Wilhelm expresses a profound hatred for his father, giving the reader the impression that Wilhelm himself, not the old man, is the one with the problem. When one comes to think about it, Tommy is the reflection of everything his father managed not to be: unsuccessful, frustrated, insecure, and pathetic. After being faced with the loss of his job and an unsuccessful marriage, Wilhelm is forced to live with his father, a figure agreeable to the public who managed to assess both financial security and social respect.
As Mucho Maas said in The Crying of Lot 49, a car is a mirror of a person’s life:
“Forgetfully, Wilhelm traveled for miles in second gear; he was seldom in the right lane and he neither gave signals nor watched for lights. The upholstery of his Pontiac was filthy with grease and ashes.” (p. 30). The car is a representation of Tommy’s own existence. The fact that he travels in “second gear” represents his uncommitted, effortless attitude towards life itself. The connotation of the words “right lane” possesses a double meaning, both literal and figurative. “Right” can define the opposite of left, but it can also come to represent correctness. By stating the fact that Wilhelm “was seldom in the right lane,” Bellow is emphasizing that Tommy fails to make the correct decisions or adopt an assertive attitude towards life itself. Not giving signals or watching out for lights symbolizes the character’s failure to both give and receive positive experiences and teachings in life. His behavior and relationship with others is not reciprocal: Wilhelm has nothing to give, and at the same time is unable to receive and interpret the signals life provides him with, such as Tamkin’s apparent unbalance. Finally, the filthiness in his car represents the untidiness in his life. Wilhelm does not care about maintaining a stable and enduring relationship with anyone, not even his wife or his job.
Seize the Day also poses a critique towards the excessive value and importance people attribute to money. “Uch! How they love money, thought Wilhelm. They adore money! Holy money! Beautiful money! It was getting so that people were feeble minded about everything except money. While if you didn’t have it you were a dummy, a dummy!” (p. 32). Money has come to occupy the most important pillar in which people construct their lives upon. In fact, this item has become the basis of everybody’s existence. “They made it a shame not to have money and set everybody to work.” (p. 27). Tommy Wilhelm talks about money in an ironic way in order to recreate a society in which wealth and other material goods act as gods. Even though the main character presents the reader with an unworldly perspective towards life, one can notice how the invisible yet powerful grasp of money has managed to seduce and succumb the unconscious Wilhelm into the midst of a degrading, materialistic culture: “He thought, The money! When I had it, I flowed money. They bled it away from me. I hemorrhaged money. But now it’s almost gone, and where am I supposed to turn for more?” (p. 36). Apparently, Tommy is also a slave of wealth and riches. What’s worse, Wilhelm decides to criticize everyone and everything without discovering that the gravest faults lie within him. He sees himself as a victim of other people’s points of views and actions, but never realizes that he is actually a bad imitation of everything he attacks.
As Mucho Maas said in The Crying of Lot 49, a car is a mirror of a person’s life:
“Forgetfully, Wilhelm traveled for miles in second gear; he was seldom in the right lane and he neither gave signals nor watched for lights. The upholstery of his Pontiac was filthy with grease and ashes.” (p. 30). The car is a representation of Tommy’s own existence. The fact that he travels in “second gear” represents his uncommitted, effortless attitude towards life itself. The connotation of the words “right lane” possesses a double meaning, both literal and figurative. “Right” can define the opposite of left, but it can also come to represent correctness. By stating the fact that Wilhelm “was seldom in the right lane,” Bellow is emphasizing that Tommy fails to make the correct decisions or adopt an assertive attitude towards life itself. Not giving signals or watching out for lights symbolizes the character’s failure to both give and receive positive experiences and teachings in life. His behavior and relationship with others is not reciprocal: Wilhelm has nothing to give, and at the same time is unable to receive and interpret the signals life provides him with, such as Tamkin’s apparent unbalance. Finally, the filthiness in his car represents the untidiness in his life. Wilhelm does not care about maintaining a stable and enduring relationship with anyone, not even his wife or his job.
Seize the Day also poses a critique towards the excessive value and importance people attribute to money. “Uch! How they love money, thought Wilhelm. They adore money! Holy money! Beautiful money! It was getting so that people were feeble minded about everything except money. While if you didn’t have it you were a dummy, a dummy!” (p. 32). Money has come to occupy the most important pillar in which people construct their lives upon. In fact, this item has become the basis of everybody’s existence. “They made it a shame not to have money and set everybody to work.” (p. 27). Tommy Wilhelm talks about money in an ironic way in order to recreate a society in which wealth and other material goods act as gods. Even though the main character presents the reader with an unworldly perspective towards life, one can notice how the invisible yet powerful grasp of money has managed to seduce and succumb the unconscious Wilhelm into the midst of a degrading, materialistic culture: “He thought, The money! When I had it, I flowed money. They bled it away from me. I hemorrhaged money. But now it’s almost gone, and where am I supposed to turn for more?” (p. 36). Apparently, Tommy is also a slave of wealth and riches. What’s worse, Wilhelm decides to criticize everyone and everything without discovering that the gravest faults lie within him. He sees himself as a victim of other people’s points of views and actions, but never realizes that he is actually a bad imitation of everything he attacks.
martes, 15 de abril de 2008
A Short Story to Recreate a Materialistic Reality:"Outage," by John Updike
“Outage,” a short story by John Updike, reflects the monotonous existence people of the XXIst century are accustomed to have, an existence where electricity, technology, and sex are the only elements that constitute their reality. Brad Morris, the main character, finds himself stuck in the middle of a power outage that paralyzed the entire activity in his home and near-by town. “Without electricity, there was nothing to do.” (p.1). Technology plays a mayor role in modern life. Its value and esteem has become so high, in fact, that humans today have developed a dependency on machines and other electrical devices in order to continue with their daily, monotonous tasks. “He felt impotent, amused by his impotence, in this emergency.” (p. 2). Man is useless without technology. So useless, in fact, that a brief power outage comes to be called an “emergency.” Daily life has become computerized, uncontrollable by human instinct and instead managed entirely by the new appliances that arise. The magnitude of our dependability of machines has risen exponentially over the past few years, converting humanity into a bunch of useless individuals unable to perform any sort of task without external help.
Another common element that persisted throughout the last pages of the story was sex. Brad and Lynne’s vulnerability to succumb to their urges is presented as something natural, even though they are both cheating on their spouses. Like Cúnegonde in Candide, these two characters view sex with different people as something “human” and “harmless.” (p. 4). What’s more alarming still is the increasing rate at which sex as an act of love and devotion to another person is being undermined and simply used as a means to satisfy human desires. “He did not want to feel that this neighbor was much younger than he, but an age difference was declared in how calmly and quickly she had shed her clothes, as if it were no big deal.” (p. 7).
The XXIst century has been flooded with high indexes of production and human activity. Amid the struggles to make life easier to handle in a world where stress, economic pursuits, and sexual urges put every individual at the service of a materialistic god, our existence as what used to be a real human being still remains shallow and irrelevant. When compared to the plot of Candide, the reader finds that modern society is yet much more conformist than that of the XVIIIth century. After all, electricity is all it takes to please an individual. There is no search for a better reality or any hope of human goodness, as these values and aspirations prove to be irrelevant today. Based on the previous inferences, I can conclude that the title of the work, “Outage,” is not referred only to a power outage, but to an outage of human individuality as well. Like the irrelevancy of the story’s plot, our existence has become completely insignificant. Our lives as men, controlled by emotions and our ability to think rationally, have shut down.
The element that questioned me the most was not the materialism of modern lifestyle, but rather its abandonment when the electricity returned and Brad and Lynne interrupted sex. “Brad turned his eyes from her nakedness, his wispy blonde’s. ‘It’s saying,’ he told her, ‘ ‘This is how it is. This is reality.’ ’” (p. 7). Why would a wake up call back to reality interrupt the impulsiveness of the characters’ behavior? If the return of electricity symbolizes a return to monotonous life, why do Brad and Lynne decide to abandon sex, an activity presented as normal and typical in the short story? I believe that by using this apparent paradox, Updike manages to communicate and strengthen the message of the monotony of modern life. It is impossible to experience any sort of emotion, such as the conventional excitement of sexual intercourse, simply because this would disrupt the normal, quotidian pattern of events we are accustomed to experience daily. Sex is presented as a common way to relieve the pressures of everyday life, dominated entirely by technology and human inability to carry out a meaningful, significant existence.
Another common element that persisted throughout the last pages of the story was sex. Brad and Lynne’s vulnerability to succumb to their urges is presented as something natural, even though they are both cheating on their spouses. Like Cúnegonde in Candide, these two characters view sex with different people as something “human” and “harmless.” (p. 4). What’s more alarming still is the increasing rate at which sex as an act of love and devotion to another person is being undermined and simply used as a means to satisfy human desires. “He did not want to feel that this neighbor was much younger than he, but an age difference was declared in how calmly and quickly she had shed her clothes, as if it were no big deal.” (p. 7).
The XXIst century has been flooded with high indexes of production and human activity. Amid the struggles to make life easier to handle in a world where stress, economic pursuits, and sexual urges put every individual at the service of a materialistic god, our existence as what used to be a real human being still remains shallow and irrelevant. When compared to the plot of Candide, the reader finds that modern society is yet much more conformist than that of the XVIIIth century. After all, electricity is all it takes to please an individual. There is no search for a better reality or any hope of human goodness, as these values and aspirations prove to be irrelevant today. Based on the previous inferences, I can conclude that the title of the work, “Outage,” is not referred only to a power outage, but to an outage of human individuality as well. Like the irrelevancy of the story’s plot, our existence has become completely insignificant. Our lives as men, controlled by emotions and our ability to think rationally, have shut down.
The element that questioned me the most was not the materialism of modern lifestyle, but rather its abandonment when the electricity returned and Brad and Lynne interrupted sex. “Brad turned his eyes from her nakedness, his wispy blonde’s. ‘It’s saying,’ he told her, ‘ ‘This is how it is. This is reality.’ ’” (p. 7). Why would a wake up call back to reality interrupt the impulsiveness of the characters’ behavior? If the return of electricity symbolizes a return to monotonous life, why do Brad and Lynne decide to abandon sex, an activity presented as normal and typical in the short story? I believe that by using this apparent paradox, Updike manages to communicate and strengthen the message of the monotony of modern life. It is impossible to experience any sort of emotion, such as the conventional excitement of sexual intercourse, simply because this would disrupt the normal, quotidian pattern of events we are accustomed to experience daily. Sex is presented as a common way to relieve the pressures of everyday life, dominated entirely by technology and human inability to carry out a meaningful, significant existence.
domingo, 13 de abril de 2008
The Double Purpose in Writing Candide: Candide, Chapters XXI - XXX
One aspect I noticed about Voltaire’s assails against the society of his times was that his criticism got more direct and straightforward as the novel progressed. At the beginning, XVIIIth century optimism was attacked with Pangloss’s philosophy, which preached that “‘all is for the best in the best of all possible worlds’.” (back cover). Satirical approaches, such as glorifying war and using ridiculous names like Thunder-ten-Tronckh, were used by Voltaire in order to arouse public conscience and make individuals realize that the ideals they upheld were completely erroneous. In the last ten chapters the author of Candide decreased the use of satire, replacing it with more direct criticisms:
“‘What can you expect?’ said Martin. ‘That’s how people here are made. Imagine every possible contradiction and inconsistency, and you will find them in the government, the law-courts, the churches, and in the whole life of this absurd nation.’” (pgs 99-100).
The reason for this shift in the form of writing still remains unclear to me. I do not understand why, after using sarcasm in such an artistic and crafty way, Voltaire decided to begin stating his grievances in such a straightforward manner. I noticed that all of this began with the appearance of Martin, a very honorable character that contradicted Pangloss by condemning the world and the human race. These two individuals hold opposite views on life and nature of mankind. Pangloss’ innocence makes him seem like a fool in the eyes of the reader, while Martin’s objectivity and realism makes him a very wise and learned man. I believe that Voltaire used direct criticism to characterize Martin and promote the ideals modern society should uphold, ideals that contradicted “Panglossian” conformism embraced by XVIIIth century society.
“‘Do you think,’ said Candide, ‘that men have always massacred each other, as they do to-day, that they have always been false, cozening, faithless, ungrateful, thieving, weak, inconstant, mean-spirited, envious, greedy, drunken, miserly, ambitious, bloody, slanderous, debauched, fanatic, hypocritical, and stupid?’
‘Do you think,’ said Martin, ‘that hawks have always eaten pigeons when they could find them?’
‘Of course I do,’ said Candide.
‘Well,’ said Martin, ‘if hawks have always had the same character, why should you suppose that men have changed theirs?’” (p. 96).
Men are evil by instinct, and there is nothing we can do about it. We cannot please ourselves by believing that every cause leads to the best possible consequence, as men possess a wicked character that only leads to suffering and war. Voltaire is trying to promote a different view of life where men are unhappy and forced to bear the terrible happenings of an imperfect world. We cannot hold an optimistic view towards life, but rather try to battle our evil nature and make our existence bearable.
Martin is the key figure the reader should follow and learn to imitate. His pessimistic views about life managed to convince the stubborn Pangloss and the optimistic Candide, both of which abandoned their old ideals on human goodness and life’s perfection.
“Martin’s conclusion was that man was born to suffer from the restlessness of anxiety or from the lethargy of boredom. Candide did not agree, but he admitted nothing. Pangloss allowed that his sufferings had been uniformly horrible; but as he had once maintained that everything would turn out right in some marvelous way, he still maintained it would, however little he believed it.” (p. 140).
Although Candide and Pangloss publicly objected Martin’s views on human suffering, Martin’s ideals proved to be victorious in the struggle against optimism. Candide’s naiveness was impossible to defeat; however, deep inside there were no arguments that managed to contradict Martin. Pangloss remained as stubborn as ever; although he still defended his philosophy that “‘all is for the best in the best of all possible worlds’.” (back cover), Pangloss ceased to believe in it and, therefore, undermined its entire foundations.
“Panglossian” conformism towards the outcomes of life needs to be rejected. Like Martin and the Turk said, work is the only solution that will make our existence bearable and free us from life’s three evils: “‘boredom, vice, and poverty.’” (p. 143). The motives for writing the novel Candide are placed in a totally different light. Maybe Voltaire not only meant to challenge the conformism and optimism of his times by proposing a different way of dealing with life, but also engage in a personal struggle in which the work involved in producing a text of such great magnitude would free him of life’s greatest evils.
“‘That’s true enough,’ said Candide; ‘but we must go and work in the garden.’ (p. 144).
“‘What can you expect?’ said Martin. ‘That’s how people here are made. Imagine every possible contradiction and inconsistency, and you will find them in the government, the law-courts, the churches, and in the whole life of this absurd nation.’” (pgs 99-100).
The reason for this shift in the form of writing still remains unclear to me. I do not understand why, after using sarcasm in such an artistic and crafty way, Voltaire decided to begin stating his grievances in such a straightforward manner. I noticed that all of this began with the appearance of Martin, a very honorable character that contradicted Pangloss by condemning the world and the human race. These two individuals hold opposite views on life and nature of mankind. Pangloss’ innocence makes him seem like a fool in the eyes of the reader, while Martin’s objectivity and realism makes him a very wise and learned man. I believe that Voltaire used direct criticism to characterize Martin and promote the ideals modern society should uphold, ideals that contradicted “Panglossian” conformism embraced by XVIIIth century society.
“‘Do you think,’ said Candide, ‘that men have always massacred each other, as they do to-day, that they have always been false, cozening, faithless, ungrateful, thieving, weak, inconstant, mean-spirited, envious, greedy, drunken, miserly, ambitious, bloody, slanderous, debauched, fanatic, hypocritical, and stupid?’
‘Do you think,’ said Martin, ‘that hawks have always eaten pigeons when they could find them?’
‘Of course I do,’ said Candide.
‘Well,’ said Martin, ‘if hawks have always had the same character, why should you suppose that men have changed theirs?’” (p. 96).
Men are evil by instinct, and there is nothing we can do about it. We cannot please ourselves by believing that every cause leads to the best possible consequence, as men possess a wicked character that only leads to suffering and war. Voltaire is trying to promote a different view of life where men are unhappy and forced to bear the terrible happenings of an imperfect world. We cannot hold an optimistic view towards life, but rather try to battle our evil nature and make our existence bearable.
Martin is the key figure the reader should follow and learn to imitate. His pessimistic views about life managed to convince the stubborn Pangloss and the optimistic Candide, both of which abandoned their old ideals on human goodness and life’s perfection.
“Martin’s conclusion was that man was born to suffer from the restlessness of anxiety or from the lethargy of boredom. Candide did not agree, but he admitted nothing. Pangloss allowed that his sufferings had been uniformly horrible; but as he had once maintained that everything would turn out right in some marvelous way, he still maintained it would, however little he believed it.” (p. 140).
Although Candide and Pangloss publicly objected Martin’s views on human suffering, Martin’s ideals proved to be victorious in the struggle against optimism. Candide’s naiveness was impossible to defeat; however, deep inside there were no arguments that managed to contradict Martin. Pangloss remained as stubborn as ever; although he still defended his philosophy that “‘all is for the best in the best of all possible worlds’.” (back cover), Pangloss ceased to believe in it and, therefore, undermined its entire foundations.
“Panglossian” conformism towards the outcomes of life needs to be rejected. Like Martin and the Turk said, work is the only solution that will make our existence bearable and free us from life’s three evils: “‘boredom, vice, and poverty.’” (p. 143). The motives for writing the novel Candide are placed in a totally different light. Maybe Voltaire not only meant to challenge the conformism and optimism of his times by proposing a different way of dealing with life, but also engage in a personal struggle in which the work involved in producing a text of such great magnitude would free him of life’s greatest evils.
“‘That’s true enough,’ said Candide; ‘but we must go and work in the garden.’ (p. 144).
viernes, 11 de abril de 2008
Voltaire's Paradox: Candide, Chapters XVI - XX
These few chapters were a breaking point in the novel as well as in Candide’s life. This character evolved from having a naïve, innocent view of life to adopting a more realistic position towards the events and occurrences that unfolded before him throughout his journey to South America. At first, Candide ceased being so gullible when he began questioning the validity of Pangloss’s inferences.
“‘Oh, Pangloss!’ cried Candide. ‘A scandal like this never occurred to you! But it’s the truth, and I shall have to renounce that optimism of yours in the end.
‘What is optimism?’ asked Cacambo.
‘It’s the passion for maintaining that all is right when all goes wrong with us,’ replied Candide, weeping as he looked at the negro.” (p. 86).
Candide is accepting the fact that evil does exist in the world and at the same time emphasizing the philosophy that everything that occurs in the universe is bad; consequently, Candide is indirectly assuring that nothing has a positive outcome and, hence, not only denying but also opposing Pangloss’s theory. As the time progressed and Candide became a spectator to more and more horrors, his incredulity escalated up to a point where he even doubted the true nature of man, which determines someone’s behavior throughout the rest of their lifetimes. “The wickedness of man appeared to him in all its ugliness, and his mind became a prey to gloomy thoughts.” (p. 89). Candide is accepting a pragmatic approach to life, where true facts and events, not simple inferences with no credibility or evidence at all, mold the mind’s reasoning. In his work, Voltaire promoted and strengthened the ideas of Thomas Hobbes, a philosopher contemporary to Voltaire’s times who, in his book Leviathan, proclaimed that man was naturally evil and selfish.
“‘… and in those towns which seem to enjoy the blessings of peace and where the arts flourish, men suffer more from envy, cares, and anxiety than a besieged town suffers from the scourges of war, for secret vexations are much more cruel than public miseries. In short, I have seen and experienced so much, that I am forced to believe that man’s origin is evil.’” (p. 92).
Apart from mocking social pretensions, as I stated in previous blogs, Voltaire begins to criticize the value and importance man has placed on gold and other riches. Eldorado is the perfect example of a utopia: there exists no sadness or poverty and men engage in a happy lifestyle, avoiding wars and all sorts of conflicts. The inhabitants of this city view wealth and material goods as something insignificant and worthless that nobody will ever bother to steal or fight for. Wealth is relative; therefore, what’s valuable is not the tangible object per say, but the value man has placed on it: “…but as we are surrounded by unscalable rocks and precipices, we have so far been sheltered from the greed of European nations, who have a quite irrational lust for the pebbles and dirt found in our soil, and would kill every man of us to get hold of them.” (p. 79).
The inhabitants of Eldorado hold and unworldly view towards life. They are not interested, like their European brothers, to make the acquisition of wealth their main focus in life; however, they manage to live in perfect harmony and order, making the reader believe that the key to constructing a utopia is not the possession of endless riches, but of no riches at all. Voltaire takes this assumption one step further by mentioning that the comforts of an opulent life can vanish easily: “‘You see, my friend, how perishable are the riches of this world. There is nothing solid but virtue and the prospect of seeing Lady Cunégonde again.’” (p. 85). A paradox is established by saying that only that which is abstract has the certainty of remaining permanent and constant in one’s life.
“‘Oh, Pangloss!’ cried Candide. ‘A scandal like this never occurred to you! But it’s the truth, and I shall have to renounce that optimism of yours in the end.
‘What is optimism?’ asked Cacambo.
‘It’s the passion for maintaining that all is right when all goes wrong with us,’ replied Candide, weeping as he looked at the negro.” (p. 86).
Candide is accepting the fact that evil does exist in the world and at the same time emphasizing the philosophy that everything that occurs in the universe is bad; consequently, Candide is indirectly assuring that nothing has a positive outcome and, hence, not only denying but also opposing Pangloss’s theory. As the time progressed and Candide became a spectator to more and more horrors, his incredulity escalated up to a point where he even doubted the true nature of man, which determines someone’s behavior throughout the rest of their lifetimes. “The wickedness of man appeared to him in all its ugliness, and his mind became a prey to gloomy thoughts.” (p. 89). Candide is accepting a pragmatic approach to life, where true facts and events, not simple inferences with no credibility or evidence at all, mold the mind’s reasoning. In his work, Voltaire promoted and strengthened the ideas of Thomas Hobbes, a philosopher contemporary to Voltaire’s times who, in his book Leviathan, proclaimed that man was naturally evil and selfish.
“‘… and in those towns which seem to enjoy the blessings of peace and where the arts flourish, men suffer more from envy, cares, and anxiety than a besieged town suffers from the scourges of war, for secret vexations are much more cruel than public miseries. In short, I have seen and experienced so much, that I am forced to believe that man’s origin is evil.’” (p. 92).
Apart from mocking social pretensions, as I stated in previous blogs, Voltaire begins to criticize the value and importance man has placed on gold and other riches. Eldorado is the perfect example of a utopia: there exists no sadness or poverty and men engage in a happy lifestyle, avoiding wars and all sorts of conflicts. The inhabitants of this city view wealth and material goods as something insignificant and worthless that nobody will ever bother to steal or fight for. Wealth is relative; therefore, what’s valuable is not the tangible object per say, but the value man has placed on it: “…but as we are surrounded by unscalable rocks and precipices, we have so far been sheltered from the greed of European nations, who have a quite irrational lust for the pebbles and dirt found in our soil, and would kill every man of us to get hold of them.” (p. 79).
The inhabitants of Eldorado hold and unworldly view towards life. They are not interested, like their European brothers, to make the acquisition of wealth their main focus in life; however, they manage to live in perfect harmony and order, making the reader believe that the key to constructing a utopia is not the possession of endless riches, but of no riches at all. Voltaire takes this assumption one step further by mentioning that the comforts of an opulent life can vanish easily: “‘You see, my friend, how perishable are the riches of this world. There is nothing solid but virtue and the prospect of seeing Lady Cunégonde again.’” (p. 85). A paradox is established by saying that only that which is abstract has the certainty of remaining permanent and constant in one’s life.
martes, 8 de abril de 2008
A Knock on the Door of Freedom and Individuality: Candide, Chapters XX - XXV
If everything that occurs in the world is always the best outcome, how can individuals know when something has a bad result? Can anything even be bad? If the term bad does not exist, does this mean that good is inexistent too? Is everything neutral, then?
“‘We are going to a different world,’ said Candide, ‘and I expect it is the one where all goes well; for I must admit that regrettable things happen in this world of ours, moral and physical acts that one cannot approve of.’” (p. 48).
Candide has been taught to perpetually hold an optimistic view about life and, therefore, learn to accept every outcome as the best possible result. His opinions about human existence form a one-way street that acts as the only alternative one can pursue in order to search for an explanation about the intricate ways of life. When holding an idyllic view of the occurrences that take place throughout one’s lifetime, an individual’s ardent desire to alter the course of events vanishes while simultaneously succumbing to the denial of a better reality. Value judgments disappear because, as Pangloss said, “‘… it is impossible for things not to be where they are, because everything is for the best.’” (p. 35). If this philosophy, although criticized by Voltaire, acts as the apparent truth the characters of Candide follow, how can Candide and his lady companions hold the prospect of finding a better reality? If Europe is the “best possible outcome” for its millions of inhabitants, how can a utopia such as the New World come into existence? How can two simultaneous realities defy each other if both of them offer the supreme alternative for our lives?
More important that these rhetorical questions is Voltaire’s purpose in writing such an absurd contradiction. Did the satirist mean to criticize man’s empiric mind during the Enlightenment and prove to the world that the millions of inferences one managed to make throughout the course of life formed an inconsistent view of events and reality? Did Voltaire want to illustrate man’s contending views on apparently reasonable theories and our contrary reactions when confronted with a real situation? Did the passage mean to criticize life in the XVIIIth century, or simply provide the reader with a rhetorical question in order to expand the meaning and ambiguity of the work?
As seen from the beginning of the work, Voltaire commits various, repetitive assails against the Catholic Church. For example, as T.S. Eliot, Voltaire included footnotes explaining certain fragments of the text: “Notice how exceedingly discreet our author is. There has so far been no Pope called Urban X. He hesitates to ascribe a bastard to an actual Pope. What discretion! What tender conscience he shows! (Voltaire’s note).” (p. 49). Despite the many attacks and criticisms of Catholicism, Voltaire does not forget to mention his “kindness” in producing soft, subtle attacks on the Catholic faith, attacks which may seem harsh and defying but that in reality are fairly soft when comparing them to the horrors and corruption of the Church. “The reverend fathers own the whole lot, and the people own nothing: that’s what I call a masterpiece of reason and justice. I don’t think I have ever seen such godlike creatures as the reverend fathers.” (p. 62).
The XXIst century has been characterized for the increased amount of sexual allure individuals project when attempting to commercialize a product or having the desire to have “fun”. Promiscuity has risen exponentially with the increase of human freedoms and the shift towards more liberal customs. These elements were certainly not present in the society of the XVIIIth century; however, Voltaire mentions continuous sexual assaults as a very popular way of having fun and spending leisure time. “That flower of maidenhood, which had been reserved for the handsome Prince of Massa-Carrara, was torn from me by the pirate captain, an odious negro, who even fancied he was doing me an honour… But that’s enough: such experiences are so common that they are not worth the trouble of describing.” (p. 51). Just as shocking as the widespread practice of rape is Cunégonde’s carefree reaction towards the loss of her virginity. The psychological horror of the entire experience left no scars on her personality; consequently, Cunégonde felt no regret and was able to continue on with her life. I don’t know whether Voltaire meant to illustrate the lack of honor and pride the individuals of his time reflected in their everyday lives, or whether the author of this satire was simply trying to arouse mankind to react against their meaningless, numb existence. Cunégonde’s lack of emotion and will to protest against a human injustice may be Voltaire’s way of calling our attention and making us realize that everybody is free to think and act as they want. Human will is a reality that must be continually enforced in order to preserve our individuality. In doing so, one’s wishes, desires, emotions, and points of view will be projected towards the world, acknowledging one’s capacity to think and act freely.
“‘We are going to a different world,’ said Candide, ‘and I expect it is the one where all goes well; for I must admit that regrettable things happen in this world of ours, moral and physical acts that one cannot approve of.’” (p. 48).
Candide has been taught to perpetually hold an optimistic view about life and, therefore, learn to accept every outcome as the best possible result. His opinions about human existence form a one-way street that acts as the only alternative one can pursue in order to search for an explanation about the intricate ways of life. When holding an idyllic view of the occurrences that take place throughout one’s lifetime, an individual’s ardent desire to alter the course of events vanishes while simultaneously succumbing to the denial of a better reality. Value judgments disappear because, as Pangloss said, “‘… it is impossible for things not to be where they are, because everything is for the best.’” (p. 35). If this philosophy, although criticized by Voltaire, acts as the apparent truth the characters of Candide follow, how can Candide and his lady companions hold the prospect of finding a better reality? If Europe is the “best possible outcome” for its millions of inhabitants, how can a utopia such as the New World come into existence? How can two simultaneous realities defy each other if both of them offer the supreme alternative for our lives?
More important that these rhetorical questions is Voltaire’s purpose in writing such an absurd contradiction. Did the satirist mean to criticize man’s empiric mind during the Enlightenment and prove to the world that the millions of inferences one managed to make throughout the course of life formed an inconsistent view of events and reality? Did Voltaire want to illustrate man’s contending views on apparently reasonable theories and our contrary reactions when confronted with a real situation? Did the passage mean to criticize life in the XVIIIth century, or simply provide the reader with a rhetorical question in order to expand the meaning and ambiguity of the work?
As seen from the beginning of the work, Voltaire commits various, repetitive assails against the Catholic Church. For example, as T.S. Eliot, Voltaire included footnotes explaining certain fragments of the text: “Notice how exceedingly discreet our author is. There has so far been no Pope called Urban X. He hesitates to ascribe a bastard to an actual Pope. What discretion! What tender conscience he shows! (Voltaire’s note).” (p. 49). Despite the many attacks and criticisms of Catholicism, Voltaire does not forget to mention his “kindness” in producing soft, subtle attacks on the Catholic faith, attacks which may seem harsh and defying but that in reality are fairly soft when comparing them to the horrors and corruption of the Church. “The reverend fathers own the whole lot, and the people own nothing: that’s what I call a masterpiece of reason and justice. I don’t think I have ever seen such godlike creatures as the reverend fathers.” (p. 62).
The XXIst century has been characterized for the increased amount of sexual allure individuals project when attempting to commercialize a product or having the desire to have “fun”. Promiscuity has risen exponentially with the increase of human freedoms and the shift towards more liberal customs. These elements were certainly not present in the society of the XVIIIth century; however, Voltaire mentions continuous sexual assaults as a very popular way of having fun and spending leisure time. “That flower of maidenhood, which had been reserved for the handsome Prince of Massa-Carrara, was torn from me by the pirate captain, an odious negro, who even fancied he was doing me an honour… But that’s enough: such experiences are so common that they are not worth the trouble of describing.” (p. 51). Just as shocking as the widespread practice of rape is Cunégonde’s carefree reaction towards the loss of her virginity. The psychological horror of the entire experience left no scars on her personality; consequently, Cunégonde felt no regret and was able to continue on with her life. I don’t know whether Voltaire meant to illustrate the lack of honor and pride the individuals of his time reflected in their everyday lives, or whether the author of this satire was simply trying to arouse mankind to react against their meaningless, numb existence. Cunégonde’s lack of emotion and will to protest against a human injustice may be Voltaire’s way of calling our attention and making us realize that everybody is free to think and act as they want. Human will is a reality that must be continually enforced in order to preserve our individuality. In doing so, one’s wishes, desires, emotions, and points of view will be projected towards the world, acknowledging one’s capacity to think and act freely.
Life as an Origami Sculpture: Candide, Chapters IV - IX
Voltaire’s Candide, as Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five, portrays a conformist society in which individuals are forced to accept every occurrence as the best and only possible outcome. As the Tralfamadorians explained, the human race possesses a limited view on the reality of the universe, a view that challenges mankind’s ability to question and draw conclusions about particular events. As Pangloss explained, there is a Universal Reason that guides men and helps them develop the appropriate reactions to certain events. “‘This will never do, my friend; you are not obeying the universal rule of Reason; you have misjudged the occasion.’” (p. 34). By acknowledging the existence of an omnipresent force which individuals are free to obey, Voltaire is actually recognizing the capacity of the human race to formulate their own thoughts and inferences based on the mental attributes they possess. This Universal Reason provides a “reasonable” explanation to the events that take place throughout our lifetimes by showing that everything has a determined purpose in life:
“He wanted to throw himself into the sea after the Anabaptist, but the great philosopher, Pangloss, stopped him by proving that Lisbon harbour was made on purpose for this Anabaptist to drown there.” (p. 33).
This quote brings me back to the point I mentioned at the beginning of the entry: conformism. By merely accepting a reality and letting events take their due course, the characters of Voltaire’s Candide are succumbing into an attitude where human free will is permanently overshadowed by their “so it goes” view of reality. The ability to disobey the Universal Reason (like the burglar did) is being completely undermined by Candide’s and Pangloss’s hollow interpretation of events, an explanation that appears to lead to an optimistic view of life but that in reality makes our existence futile and meaningless. “For it is impossible for things not to be where they are, because everything is for the best.” (p. 35).
Based on the previous comments, I can infer that life is like an origami sculpture. Millions of hidden details and explanations lie entwined in between the many curves and folds that coexist together in perfect harmony in order to produce a perfectly balanced and beautiful creation. If we do not dare to unfold the creases in the paper, we will never be able to discover the underlying principles of life and, subsequently, will fail to obtain the plain, wrinkled, clear sheet of paper that serves as the pillar on which our existence rests upon. Our origami sculpture of life will remain untouched by the eager hands of human restlessness. The work of art, intact, will seem promising and optimistic, yet unable to release the potential energy that hides behind its creases. Like Pangloss’s existence, the nicely-folded sheet of paper will look good, but will never be able to yield any valuable teaching. The unfolded sheet of paper, although weary and discouraging, will have managed to wring out life’s juices of knowledge.
Like T.S. Eliot, Voltaire emits a public outcry to protest against the hollow men that attempt to provide a reasonable explanation of life during the so-called “Age of Reason.” These, however, have become alienated from the realities and horrors present in the society of their time, adopting a shallow view of life and its meaning.
“He wanted to throw himself into the sea after the Anabaptist, but the great philosopher, Pangloss, stopped him by proving that Lisbon harbour was made on purpose for this Anabaptist to drown there.” (p. 33).
This quote brings me back to the point I mentioned at the beginning of the entry: conformism. By merely accepting a reality and letting events take their due course, the characters of Voltaire’s Candide are succumbing into an attitude where human free will is permanently overshadowed by their “so it goes” view of reality. The ability to disobey the Universal Reason (like the burglar did) is being completely undermined by Candide’s and Pangloss’s hollow interpretation of events, an explanation that appears to lead to an optimistic view of life but that in reality makes our existence futile and meaningless. “For it is impossible for things not to be where they are, because everything is for the best.” (p. 35).
Based on the previous comments, I can infer that life is like an origami sculpture. Millions of hidden details and explanations lie entwined in between the many curves and folds that coexist together in perfect harmony in order to produce a perfectly balanced and beautiful creation. If we do not dare to unfold the creases in the paper, we will never be able to discover the underlying principles of life and, subsequently, will fail to obtain the plain, wrinkled, clear sheet of paper that serves as the pillar on which our existence rests upon. Our origami sculpture of life will remain untouched by the eager hands of human restlessness. The work of art, intact, will seem promising and optimistic, yet unable to release the potential energy that hides behind its creases. Like Pangloss’s existence, the nicely-folded sheet of paper will look good, but will never be able to yield any valuable teaching. The unfolded sheet of paper, although weary and discouraging, will have managed to wring out life’s juices of knowledge.
Like T.S. Eliot, Voltaire emits a public outcry to protest against the hollow men that attempt to provide a reasonable explanation of life during the so-called “Age of Reason.” These, however, have become alienated from the realities and horrors present in the society of their time, adopting a shallow view of life and its meaning.
jueves, 3 de abril de 2008
URGENT!!
Mr. Tangen, could you please tell Natalia to take that picture off her blog profile? I look like a moron and it lowers my self-esteem.
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