Thursday, April 10, 2014

The Floating Opera (Pages 84-169)

Wills: pgs. 91-93
·         Mrs. Mack and Frobel fight for the recognition of will #6
·         Todd and Harrison fight for will #8

·         Scene of Spanish Donations:
·         page 95 “Men, I think, are ever attracted to the bon mot (witty remark) rather than the mot juste…”
·         page 97: “Nobody really cares about the logic. They make up their prejudices about Spain. I think you’d have lost here even without Frobel’s metaphor.
o   Ideas of humans being swayed more by their heart and emotions then mind
o   Minds are constantly staying consistent, never changing
·          Harrison says he wants to die
o   pg 100 “We act as if we could choose and so we can, in effect. All you have to do to be strong is stop being weak.”
o   Todd only character that demonstrates simple logic rather than emotion
·         Symbols:
o   Page 11 “…the many tempting symbols she sets squarely in your path, or you’ll be baited into saying things you don’t really mean…”
o   Todd notes that integrity is the ability to resist life’s symbols, stay logical
·         Betty June introduced on page 118
o   Page 119 “I found myself able to think more liberally, compassionately, and judiciously than I’d ever thought before….I should say that it was at just this point that I lost my innocence.”
o   New experience is inconsistent with his usual day
o   Inconsistency allows an open mind, while Consistency restricts the mind
o   Page 124” “I have said that my experience in Argonne, not very long afterwards, was the second of two unforgettable demonstrations of my animality. This was the first. Nothing, to me, is so…funny as we animals in the act of mating.
§  Idea that all humans at their core are animals, constant comparison of himself and other characters as animals
§  Look of ridiculousness of them in the mirror contrasts the beautiful idea he had of it-> demonstrates that humans are animals under their attempt to convince themselves to be sophisticated

·         Inconsistency vs. Consistency
o   Page 125: “Break them now and then and institute new ones in their places for a while. It will slow you up sometimes, but you’ll tend to grow strong and feel free.”
§  Notes to not change all habits because you’ll go back to being consistent but this time it would be consistent in your inconsistency
·         Saint Repetition
o   Page 138: “I was uninvolved; I was unmoved; I was a saint.”
§  Todd has decided to live soberly and face life head on which makes him a saint in his mind. Being a saint comes from following the rules and doing everything people expect.
§  Todd is pretending to be like everyone else but knows he is much different. Harrison is often described as a saint.

·         Death repetition
o   Discussion of death with Mr. Haecker on page 166

o   Todd pities Mr. Haecker as he is pretending to enjoy his life. Todd thinks it’s better to commit suicide then live life miserably. He disagrees that there is “an intrinsic” value of life. 

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