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| 2nd reply to Smeg re: Melville Etc. | |
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pidunk 09:27 am UTC 05/14/07 |
| In reply to: | re: Is Lietmotif The Same As A Reprise? - Smeghead 08:59 pm UTC 05/13/07 |
> > I'm sure you can continue to find reasons to hate me :) > > But you could like me just as easily. > > Nope I could not. You have to be putting people on... Well, maybe if I know what size people I wear......:) > > Herman Melville's > > Moby Dick is about the whale and Gipeto, > > No, Pinnochio is about a Whale and Gipeto.... Moby Dick is > about a whale and Capt. Ahab. However The Confidence Man > by Melville, which is what was being referenced, is not > about a whale at all... nor about death. I've already admitted to the woeful state of my literature reading experience. My focus in school had been that of biography, historical non-fiction, and autobiography, with some Herman Hesse thrown in on good recommendation. I did not read Moby Dick because people who were putting ME on, were letting me confuse it with Pinocchio, and when I was a little girl, I was traumatized by Pinocchio, believe it or not! So I did not have much impetus to pursue that story any further. I spent some part of the evening looking at Melville's Moby Dick as described, and also Melville in terms of works and not just biography for his own life, but that life of his immediate ancestors. While reading these things I remembered splinters of things that Jim was discussing as to what his interest in Melville ever was, or the subject of boats. There are a couple of things I recall. Not one thing that I could write a chapter about (and how much a relief is that to you?)..:), and I suppose that a future discussion with Jim would bring out facts that I now lack. But I considered some things that Jim said at various times which involve a personal interest. He said, which I recall well, "It is about the man that Melville was, not any particular thing that he wrote." which made Jim interested in working on any project by the author. What comes forth to me as well is that Moby Dick, bringing that story again to the fore, was based according to the history, on an amalgam of two factual occurences/phenomenon/lives of men and whales and ships. Jim made one reference to me of one of his ancestors having been lost at sea. Jim is also highly interested in boats and water. This is merely a collection of hints, I realize, as much hints to you as to me. What that could have to do with Batman, came the original question......as much of an amalgam that Batman is, so could be the equivalant of Moby Dick, and there in my wondering lies some leading to thoughts. Of course, we know that it was The Confidence Man which Jim worked with. That project came to him and he agreed to it, but he would not have done it by his own impetus. I think he did not give much clearer assessments of his feelings towards that in his blog. I have to consider this particular "homework assignment" completed because it was a "trick question". Jim I trust, with the help of God, will give me the answer another time, in the hopefully not too distant future. Should I come across greater clarity I shall share it with you and hope that you have your barf bags properly in place where you need them....:) > > > > a presumed death > > with the continuance of life, which took all the > > dimensions of every emotion and every permutation of > > issues concerning life, hope, and second chances. A > > Mississippi riverboat has a thing or two in thematic > > common in Jim's universe, which you'd be angry if I tried > > to explain. But, there is connection, between those two > > and the piece "Graveyard Shift". Even if in the most > > literal sense, a graveyard deals with what, but graves > > (one of the surnames in Jim's genealogy, I have learned, > > which could be a double entrendre given up by fate in a > > sense.) > > > > > > > > > > unless Jim's work as a whole was to be viewed as > > > > one cohesive piece which is meant to be taken together. > > > > Yes, I do believe that Jim's works are particles of one > > whole. > > > > I > > > > think that would be an incredible stretch of the > > > > definition of LietMotif, tho. > > > > Perhaps, but that is the artistic domain. > > > > > > > > > > I agree. I see no theme behind i.e. using the same tune of > > > "Edging Into Darkness" for "The Graveyard Shift". What > > > does Batman have to do with Herman Melville and a > > > Mississippi riverboat? Nothing. > > > > Maybe Batman as a comic character has nothing to do with > > those, but I think that study of Jim's works could yield > > to the understanding that he does not mold to the story, > > but makes the story mold to his own vision. > > > > | |
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| Previous: | re: Is Lietmotif The Same As A Reprise? - Smeghead 08:59 pm UTC 05/13/07 |
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