Best of the Week: Cathedral

After reading Cathedral, I became more and more convinced that it is the greatest short story I have ever read which is not really saying much since I don't read them often. However, I think that it is a great story and magnificently written. We had some really great discussions in class and it's tough to be specific about the "best of the week" but, I'm going to focus on the form in Cathedral. The author begins by having the narrator use short, brusque sentences to convey his close-mindedness. Later on, after the blind man, Robert, arrives and the narrator has his mind opened, the sentences become lengthy and more in depth. At the end of the story, the narrator returns to his short sentences but this time, the author uses them to show that the narrator's epiphany is unexplainable and he is at a loss for words. The last line is the perfect ending to emphasize that point.

We have talked about how form is content the whole year but this is the first time that I really get it. Seeing it in action like this has really inspired me to have more ideas about how to write my own short story and convey emotion to my reader outside of the actual words themselves. I'm very excited to get my story fragment back and begin writing the whole thing.

What If?: The Matrix Was Our System

The concept of a "system" and other aspects of postmodernism have been heavily stressed during class, while watching The Matrix and while reading Heart of Darkness. Well, what if we were all actually in the matrix? What if everything we know is an illusion? A mirage. A chimera. Perhaps, we are not being harvested for our energy after a brutal war with robots but, for some other reason the human population is unknowingly being held captive in a matrix. Is this a bad thing. Well, in my opinion, if you realize that you are in the matrix, then yes it is. You can not help but wonder if "Tasty Wheat" actually tastes like chicken. Your sensations and experiences in the matrix are probably different than in the real world. However, in The Matrix, the real world was a barren, cold and terrible place. Neo is able to escape from the matrix, and attempts to liberate the human race. If he is successful (in later movies), he is bringing the population into a world of gloom and desolation. Most likely the surface world would return to a habitable state but not in his lifetime. Cypher understandably chooses a comfortable life in the matrix. Ultimately, this is a choice between your "happiness" and chance at a quality life in the real world for future generations. If I were in his place, I might choose to remain in the matrix. I like my life right now and my place in the system. However, I am currently unaware of any such matrix and lack an opportunity to free humankind. So, fortunately, I don't have to make that decision.

Connection: HoD and Eloquence

In Heart of Darkness, we see the effect of Kurtz's rhetoric and "magnificent eloquence" on others, especially the harlequin. He claimed that Mr. Kurtz had "enlarged his mind" and continued on praising Kurtz for the rest of his part in the story. When the subject of Kurtz's ruthlessness and brutality arose, he exclaimed "You can't judge Mr. Kurtz as you would an ordinary man. No, no, no! ... This man has suffered too much. He hated all this and somehow he couldn't get away" (Conrad 56). It almost seemed as if he was under a spell and when Marlow discusses Kurtz's report on page 50, he too appears to be hypnotized by Kurtz's eloquence. Conrad writes, "there were no practical hints to interupt the magic current of phrases ..." further emphasizing the magical capabilities of Kurtz's words. However, written at the bottom of the last page of Kurtz's report are the words "Exterminate the brutes!" Here we see Kurtz's true intentions.

This type of persuasion can be seen in many cases in the past. The obvious one being Hitler's control over Germany. He used his charisma and language to, in essence, brainwash people. This is a scary thought for me, because I like to be in control over my beliefs and actions. I think I'm going to take a page out of Descartes' book and doubt more because of the implications of being "hypnotized" could have. The idea of being subject to a person's eloquence is something that I'll try to always keep in the back of my mind from now on.