Apparently, given the confusing format of the first chapter, it is clear that Benjy has no perception of time whatsoever. He doesn't realize that events occur at different times, but rather thins that they all occur in the present. This is interesting, for quite recently I've begun to notice a human tendency to want to pinpoint exactly when something occurred while telling a story, almost as if that would prove what happened. It goes somewhat like this:
Lunchtime Talker 1: Oh my god, remember when we went to dance camp and almost killed that cat?
Lunchtime Talker 2: Hahaha! Yeah!
Random Person Joining Into Conversation: What? Please explain...
Lunchtime Talker 1: Ok, I think it was like two summers ago...
Lunchtime Talker 2: Yeah, it TOTALLY was, because I was going into sophomore year.
Lunchtime Talker 1: Yeah, so on the second to last night I think...
Lunchtime Talker 2: NO! I'm pretty sure it was the last night, because Jenn and Sam got caught sneaking out, remember?
Random Person: (I don't care when it happened, just tell the story...)
Lunchtime Talker 1: Oh, true that! Ok, so it was like, right after dinner, right?
Lunchtime Talker 2: I think so...well, it was definitely before the movie, because remember how awkward that was, sitting in a room with Stephanie after she almost had to take her cat to the emergency room?
Random Person: (&@#%$! i just want to hear the damn story)
Lunchtime Talker 1: Yeah, so like 7:39, eastern standard time, right?
Random Person: Peace out.
Though the above dialogue is a bit extreme, there is no doubt in that knowing when something happened tends to legitimize an occurrence. Benjy obviously has inclination to let the readers know when something happened, for time is far beyond his comprehension. This almost causes us to question whether or not he is dillusional, that is, until we read the following narrations from more "reliable" narrators. Benjy's relationship with time and events causes us to rely on these following chapters in order to understand the family's story.
But what does this all mean if the family's story doesn't have any significance whatsoever? Hmmm...
Monday, September 10, 2007
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Hostages to Fortune
He that hath a wife and children hath given hostages to fortune.
-Sir Francis Bacon
Apparently, there is some unique form of goodness, moral uprightedness, or sincerity that a family-holder possesses. When one cares for someone in general, or a group of someones as in a family, he or she is made vulnerable; he or she needs to take that someone into careful account when making decisions rather than thoughtlessly acting on his or her own enterprising desire. This, ultimately, is a sacrifice.
So many times throguhout my childhood and adolescence I have heard the aforementioned "s" word escape my parents' mouths. Though the word may be used many times for their own self-worth, a harsh reality exists regarding that word: a family is one big sacrifice. Plain and simple. It can be argued whether people are obligated to form a family and what requirements precede the formation of a family, yet the statement remains the same.
In order to commit to caring for other human beings, one must relinquish any sense of self. This is nonetheless quite humbling. Getting married and raising children are committments that automatically require the above course of action to take place. This isn't always the case, for often times various members of a family refuse to surrender their own selfish desires, but in order to achieve the same sincerity that Bacon asks us to consider, it must be done. Bacon phrases it as a statement to make it clear that one automatically is obligated to make his or her family a priority over material successes or other self-involved concepts.
Am I willing to make that sacrifice?
-Sir Francis Bacon
Apparently, there is some unique form of goodness, moral uprightedness, or sincerity that a family-holder possesses. When one cares for someone in general, or a group of someones as in a family, he or she is made vulnerable; he or she needs to take that someone into careful account when making decisions rather than thoughtlessly acting on his or her own enterprising desire. This, ultimately, is a sacrifice.
So many times throguhout my childhood and adolescence I have heard the aforementioned "s" word escape my parents' mouths. Though the word may be used many times for their own self-worth, a harsh reality exists regarding that word: a family is one big sacrifice. Plain and simple. It can be argued whether people are obligated to form a family and what requirements precede the formation of a family, yet the statement remains the same.
In order to commit to caring for other human beings, one must relinquish any sense of self. This is nonetheless quite humbling. Getting married and raising children are committments that automatically require the above course of action to take place. This isn't always the case, for often times various members of a family refuse to surrender their own selfish desires, but in order to achieve the same sincerity that Bacon asks us to consider, it must be done. Bacon phrases it as a statement to make it clear that one automatically is obligated to make his or her family a priority over material successes or other self-involved concepts.
Am I willing to make that sacrifice?
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