Ξ Reading the Novel-- The Process of Searching the Truth

People are accustomed to ask for an answer when they face things which are unknown before. In this high developed culture, when people want to know these unknown things, they are used to follow the rational consideration, use the deductive and inductive ways to discover the answer. For instance, William is the standard of this kind people. The process of seeking the murderer, the process of searching the formula, the process of looking for the answer, all of them can be considered as the process of finding the origin and the truth. These processes are in the novel The Name of the Rose and Labyrinths: Selected Stories & Other Writings. Following will discuss the difficulty of trying to find the origin and the truth.


　　In The Name of the Rose, one of the main topics is how William tried to find out the murderer in the abbey.  Although there is no 「real」 murderer in these events, in fact, all these events happened coincidentally.  The one who only we can consider him as a murderer is Jorge, but the motivation makes him spread with the poison in the book is he does not want anyone to read the second part of the Aristotle's Poetics.  Thus in this process of searching the murderer, although William uses his talent and profession to collect the clues and tries to find the murderer behind the curtains, it is useless, since there is no 「real」 murderer.  Then, the truth William looks for is not the truth he wants to get.  Nowadays, in the world, people always try to find the 「truth」 or the 「answer」 to explain the things they do not know before.  Since the God gave the authority of naming to Adam, this world has combined with lots of names, uncountable names.  Even the words every author uses in their writing are also the combination of lots of names.  Nevertheless, the name is just like a tag, which is used to be recognized each other easily.  The essence is just the thing we use in the world; the name does not have any function that cannot be used.  The last sentence in The Name of the Rose is: 「[S]tat rosa pristine nomine, nomina nuda tenemus」 (The Name of the Rose 502).  People only have the name of the rose, but except the name, the beauty of the rose, the fragrance of it, are the essences which really construct the 「rose.」  Juliet says: 「[T]hat which we call a rose / By any other name would smell as sweet」 (Romeo and Juliet: II.ii.43–44).  It will not be different when the rose has the different name, since the beauty and fragrance of the rose are unique, these unique elements are the factors combine into a rose, other flowers will not have the same appearance and smell.

　　Nowadays, it is difficult to ask people abandon those names, or ask them stop trying to find the answer.  Because people's culture is constructed under these names from ancient culture to currency, it cannot be denied that these names help make this world in order.  In recent ideological trend, people discover there are full of the names and signs around the life.  Hence someone starts to search the way to escape form those.  However, they have been one part of our life since long time long time ago, it is difficult to leave them.  In other words, if people wanted to escape from them definitely, they would cut the relationship with this society.  In the contradiction, the action of trying leaving these names and signs is another type of process, which is searching the 「truth.」  It is the hard way to do so, since the truth people want to find out has been packaged in many and many boxes which are called different names.  The author of The Name of the Rose Eco, Umberto says: 「[I] was handed a book written by a certain Abbé Vallet, Le Manuscrit de Dom Adson de Melk, traduit en français d'après l'édition de Dom J. Mabillon (Aux Presses de l'Abbaye de la Source, Paris, 1842) 」 (The Name of the Rose 1).  Then, the version we read is translated from Itlian, it is hard to trace the original version of The Name of the Rose (or the closer name: Il Nome Della Rosa).  Moreover, it cannot be assured that the whole manuscript can be translated completely, and without any mistranslation or lost part in the 「origin.」  Both the origin and the truth, are packaged with different appearances, thus when people want to try looking for the inner origin or fact, people will get lost in the process easily.  In John Barth's short story 「Menelaiad,」 he uses another writing skill to reproduce the famous story 「The Troy War.」  The 「Myth」 can be considered as the most original text, but it is impossible to back to that origin.  These outside decorations (signs, names, translations, and so on), make people in nowadays become further away from the truth, the origin people seek.

　　Usually, we have a lot of clues to find out the answer what people want, or having tools and skills to help people.  However, most of time, people are too confident to believe the truth, the origin can be find out absolutely.  It can be discovered by these clues or through tools.  Nevertheless, once people have this attitude, they will be got in the trap easily.  When William and Adso get into the finis Africae, William considers that he has solved all mysteries, and he confesses he was misled by the prediction of Apocalypse from Jorge: 「『[W]hat a fool…』『Who?』 『I. Because of a remark of Alinardo's, I was convinced the series of crimes followed the sequence of the seven trumpets of the Apocalypse'」 (The Name of the Rose 469).  Although William is a talented detective, when he appears in the novel first time, he has shown his abilities, and, although he has enough clues to surmise who is the schemer, he still got confused in these signs. Because he is too confident to his ability.  Nowadays, in the daily life, most people when face to the unknown things or have the question, people will ask the deductive and inductive reasoning to find out the answer they want.  William does so.  It is one way to be closer to the 「real」 answer, which is called the truth, but as just mentioned before: the 「origin」 and the 「truth」 is the most inside object, there are plenty of boxes wrap it.  Furthermore, it is easy to become a habit when people are used to depend these methods to solve the problem.  Like William, he always uses deductive and inductive reasoning to surmise the 「truth,」 and ignore the possibility of coincidence.  He is similar to the other detective: Lönnrot, who is the detective in Jorge Borges' short story 「Death and the Compass.」  Both of them are consider there is a murderer in the murder.  Lönnrot's colleague Treviranus thinks the murder is by accident: 「We all know that the Tetrarch of Galilee owns the finest sapphires in the world.  Someone, intending to steal them, nust have broken in here by mistake.  Yarmolinsky got up; the robber had to kill him」 (Labyrinths: Selected Stories & Other Writings 77).  But Lönnrot does not think so, he concludes that is a murder which is planned.  In the end, he finds out the murderer, unexpectedly, the murderer is someone who is going to kill Lönnrot.  As a result, Lönnrot dies in his consideration.

　　Back to the process of searching the origin and the truth, it is like the process of seeking a book which is the formula and perfect compendium of all the rest in 「The Library of Babel」: 「Someone proposed a regressive method: To locate book A, consult first a book B which indicates A's position; to locate book B, consult first a book C, and so on to infinity」 (Labyrinths: Selected Stories & Other Writings 56).  One day, it will be discovered absolutely, but the time one has to use is very long, there is no one even knows how long one has to pay to find out that book, since there is no one who can live so long, neither.  Therefore, the process of seeking the origin or the truth has the goal, and one can discover that ultimate answer, unfortunately, human being does not have enough life to face that coming day.  Despite of the problem of time, the space is also another problem.  Both libraries in 「The Library of Babel」 and The Name of the Rose are very large and constituted of lots of rooms.  The library of Babel is just like the universe, and the library in The Name of the Rose is a labyrinth.  Furthermore, the mirror in the library in the novel is also the entrance of the finis Africae; normally, the mirror is the object which can reflect other objects in front of it.  But the mirror here does not reflect them honestly, it transforms the appearance of the original objects, makes the images become strange.  As a result, few people know this secret pathway towards the finis Africae, which can stand for the origin and the truth mentioned before.  Hence, the origin and the truth people search may have different look, even change into the appearance we could not believe.

　　Since the truth and the origin are packaged into lots of boxes, and may be decorated by many different appearances, and all human beings do not have such long time to tear down them to see that key of heart.  Although one of the advantages of human beings is people owe the curiosity, which makes people make efforts searching those truths and origins.  Until now, it seems those processes of seeking the truth and the origin are developing but less meaning; because they make our daily life has surprises sometimes; but people still do not understand what is that 「ultimate」 answer, since there will be some new discoveries after a period while people claim they have some 「new」 discovery (or more original).

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Works Cited:

1. Borges, Jorge Luis. Labyrinths: Selected Stories & Other Writings. New York: New Directions, 1964.
2. Eco, Umberto. The Name of the Rose. Trans. William Weaver. London: Vintage, 1998.
3. Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet. London: Thomson Learning, 2002.

Reference:

1. Barth, John. Lost in the Funhouse. 1968. New York: Anchor Books, 1988.

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Works cited:
1. Barth, John. Lost in the Funhouse. 1968. New York: Anchor Books, 1988.
2. Borges, Jorge Luis. Labyrinths: Selected Stories & Other Writings. New York: New Directions, 1964.

Reference:
1. 王建平，不可言說的言說

Ξ 閱讀與生活— 人鼠之間

影片開頭的逃跑場景，很容易讓我們認為：喬治跟藍尼兩人若不是相當要好的朋友，就是有其血緣上的關係。這兩個人，貫穿了整齣戲劇。我們在戲裡頭看到的是，喬治是一個精明幹練的人，而藍尼則有一身的力量。這兩個人身上的特質，若能夠合而為一，或許可以說是一種「完人」的境界吧？其實這世界上的每一個人，不就是在尋求這樣的自己嗎？讓自己的身心都可以臻至成熟，有肉體可以抵禦外侮，有智慧可以規劃人生。
　　只是在現實中，往往真的很難能夠有如此美好的事情。我們不是缺了強健的身軀，就是少了睿智的腦袋，或是沒了成熟的心靈。此時，我想這也就是「朋友」之所以存在的目的。我們藉由這些朋友們，當我們聚在一起之時，可以形成一個堅固的堡壘。就像藍尼以及喬治兩人長久以來共同的願望一樣：他們所想要的，無非就是能夠有著一塊地，共同耕作、畜牧而已，在這個地方，他們能夠自給自足，不用害怕外界對他們的迫害。這樣看來，很容易認為藍尼只是一個「四肢發達，頭腦簡單」的角色，其實並不全然可以如此看待。在一個團體裡面，或許很容易地認為那個「出主意」的人，是整個團體裡面最重要的人物，但如果沒有那個「出力氣」的人，許多事情，其實並無法完成。就像一個公司，總不可能只有一個老闆，卻沒有員工；也不可能有一堆員工，卻沒有半個領導者。兩者其實是相輔相成的，缺一不可。
　　整齣戲劇之所以為悲劇收場，就在於藍尼最後不小心（必須要說的是：他真的不是出於故意），沒有控制力道殺死了農場主人柯利的妻子。而逃跑的藍尼，跑向的地方，不是其他地方，而是當初喬治與他約定好的地方，想不到，在這個他與喬治約定的地方，喬治開槍射殺了他。其實整個作品，很容易讓人聯想到會以悲劇作結。原因在於，有很多的脈絡可以推斷，藍尼總有一天會闖下大禍，而且是誰都無法加以補救的大禍。裡頭的每一個角色，出場的原因也相當鮮明，很少有所謂單純串場的角色存在。像是柯利的妻子，每每出現，總是讓全場一陣譁然，因為她的行為、態度，很容易讓人預料到她的動機：就是想要吸引那些在農場裡工作的男人們。喬治對她其實也有先見之明，預先警告藍尼不要靠近她。即使她出現再多次，喬治跟藍尼總是對她的行為無動於衷，其實滿令人訝異的，內心總是設想著，他們有一天一定會發生某些風流韻事才對。

　　最後的結局，真的讓人頗為心酸。或許相當多人都會質疑說為何喬治會射殺藍尼？他們可以片頭一般，繼續逃亡到下一個農場、村落啊。在片頭之前，我們不曉得他們逃出的那個農場，已經是第幾個農場了。可能是第一個，卻也有可能已經是第十個了？喬治並不一定要殺了藍尼，但是不殺藍尼，一來他們還要過這樣逃亡的日子多久？他們兩人一起構築的美好藍圖要到哪一日方能實現？二來，不能總是以藍尼的智能不高，去面對所有藍尼闖下的禍事，如果只是一昧的放任，並不符合「公平正義」的原則。不用強調很久很久以前的「以眼還眼、以牙還牙」的報復心態，但是起碼需要做到公平、公正、公開。對於藍尼智能或許不高，但那不代表他即可以為所欲為，或許更應該為他做一些輔導。最後藍尼死亡前，還依然記送著他與喬治兩人共同構築的一塊夢想之地，相當令人動容。雖然藍尼的死很令人痛心，畢竟喬治也是出於無奈的原因而下手殺他，但我們也必須明白，這個世界有一套規則在那裡運轉著。就拿法律來說，法律之所以存在，就是為了讓冤屈得以伸張，讓惡人可以接受懲治。而這個世界，也並非全然都只為了處罰別人而運轉著，有懲罰，當然也有獎賞。即使現在台灣的社會還是習慣懲罰著別人，而吝嗇給予他人獎賞，但是這些規則，依然是有的。

　　唯電影裡面有一個角色：當喬治進城的那個夜晚，藍尼遇見的黑人勞工。不是很能明白他在電影裡面扮演著一個什麼樣的角色，有怎麼樣的地位。有種為了要抗議黑人勞工的生活，所以安排他在這個戲劇裡頭軋一角的感覺，並無法讓人能夠立刻理解。另外，結尾的地方，電影跟小說有一點的不同。電影裡面喬治射殺了藍尼之後，便結束了。但是在小說裡面，之後還有一小段，是在說柯利他們找到了喬治跟藍尼。農場裡的老斯利姆對喬治說：「有時候你非得這樣做不可。」這一句話其實也滿令人難過的，這不就是在說我們現在身處的這個世界嗎？有很多時候，有很多事情，你是不得不為。即使你的內心再如何掙扎，再如何痛苦，你還是得硬著頭皮上陣。拿學生的生活來說，我們學生其實真的是很幸福的一種職業了，唯一要做的事情、負的責任，不過就是把書唸好，在學校裡頭，為將來出去社會奠下基礎。一旦我們決定進入學校裡頭唸書，我們不得不為的事情就是：老師們分配下來的作業、期中、期末考、報告、出席等等……。或許有些時候，學生們因為一些外務導致作業無法如期完成，或是有其他問題等，但是學生們總不能大喇喇地跟老師說：「好，那我不交。」老師或許會願意寬限個幾天給你補交，但是總不會讓你不交，因為這樣來說，對其他有繳交作業的同學們，其實是相當不公平的。也許你很恐懼上台報告，但一樣，最後，你還是需要上台去做這麼一件事情，就把這些不得不為的事情，當作一種磨練吧。「不經一番寒徹骨，焉得梅花撲鼻香。」人生總是不可能一帆風順直到最後，再怎麼有謀略的軍師，還是會有機關算盡的一天，但是經過許多大風大浪，有著許多人生經驗的他們，不會就這樣坐以待斃，而會轉而尋求其他的方法來解決問題。

Ξ Shakespear-- Critical Essay

The main idea in this critical essay is the development of the manners in early modern Europe.  David Graeber first uses the two different types of the relationship in the non-Western societies: joking and avoidance being the foundation of the essay.  In the essay, David Graeber is not only points out these two different relationships between the people, but mentions other systems affect people's manners and their relationships.  For instance, the gift giving and the exchange with each other in the tribe, or the education and English Calvinists' effects make lots influences in the societies.
    According to what David Graeber mentions in the essay, the joking relationship is easy to find in the rustic area, and it has the ideology which is similar to the equality.  The joking relationship does not really make jokes with other people, it is more important that the function of the joking is providing commoners funny and laughter.  Even, sometimes we may consider that the humor in this relationship is not simply humor but a little shameless.  People who live under this relationship follow one principle: the taking of the goods, and the giving of the bads.  On the other hand, the relationships of avoidance are often discovered in the upper class in societies.  The avoidance relations emphasizes on the order or the prohibition from upper class, such as the master, lord, or the King.  There is a very obvious boundary between two distinct levels, and it is not allowed to violate when people are under the avoidance relations.  There is a sentence which can summarize these two relationships: “[J]oking relations tend to be mutual, an equal exchange of abuse emphasizing an equality of status, avoidance is generally hierarchical, with one party clearly inferior and obliged to pay respect” (Manners, Deference, and Private Property in Early Modern Europe 696).  Furthermore, David Graeber also uses the Mikhail Bakhtin’s point of view, two types of the body: grotesque and classical.  It seems that the bodies in the joking relationship are close to the grotesque body; on the other hand, the people in the relations of avoidance are closer to the classical body.  Moreover, the joking relationship has the close connection with the world; it is unlike to the relationship of avoidance which is set apart from the world. 

    However, there is one question about their constitution: what is the difference between “substances” and “property”?  It is easy to understand that the substances is something from the nature or from oneself; on the other hand, the property is something from the outside world which people bundle them with the law, thus giving the gift is meaning that giving one part of oneself.  “A property need not have any practical use… It simply needs to say something about its owner” (702).  For example, the union and the pearl in Hamlet in page 410,411 is the symbol of the royal crown, the king’s power.  Nevertheless, what is the connection between “substances and property” and two different relationships?  Then, is any character in Hamlet can be distinguished easily into the joking relationship or the other one?

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Work cited:

1.    Graeber, David. Comparative Studies in Society and History, Vol. 39, No.4. (Oct., 1997), pp.694-728.

Ξ Reading the Novel-- Changes of Mr. Stevens

The Remains of the Day could be regarded as a novel describes Stevens's changes in his journey and his life. Like us, habits are not easy to change, thus Stevens's changes not happened immediately, but step by step in a slow way, especially he is so stubborn. This novel is combined from Steven's journey in the present and his memory in the past. As a result, most changes we can discover from the novel are in his present journey, especially after the day four when he meets with Miss Kenton. The most significant change in this novel is his attitude. It can be divided into two aspects, one is his attitude about his career, and the other one is the attitude about his real emotion.
    The key turning point of Stevens’s changes is the meeting with Miss Kenton in his journey in the day four.  Before it, Stevens is a person has the talent to hide his real emotion in his daily life.  Just like what he describes about his profession in the novel: They wear their professionalism as a decent gentleman will wear his suit: he will not let ruffians or circumstances tear it off him in the public gaze (The Remains of the Day 44).  According to Stevens’s opinion, hiding the emotions is the symbol of being a great butler.  Since he is good at this, a turning point in his career is he had the chance to serve the people from other countries in the international conference (73).  This can be regarded as a reward for Stevens’s professionalism, and Stevens is also glad to receive it even consider he deserves it.  Furthermore, before Stevens met with Miss Kenton, he keeps lots of the secrets of being a great butler in his mind, such as how to polish the silver, how to get into the club of the great butler, and so on.  Because he thinks it cannot be spread into the normal people who may do not have the enthusiasm in this profession, this is the sacred profession in his mind: a “great” butler.  However, after he met with Miss Kenton, and got the heart-breaking. He may get hurt much severely, hence he may be almost crackup.  He told to a random stranger about all the secrets in this career, he believes he even revealed to a stranger several of his professional ‘secrets’ (254).  In this section, we can find his change towards his career, although it may be the result under his crackup, he has begun to understand that his profession is not as sacred as before.

    Hiding the emotions is an important characteristic of being a great butler, but Stevens makes this have the highest position in his life.  Thus readers may think he is a cold-blood man.  Specifically when readers read the passage of his father’s death, he is still insists on doing his profession and does not go upstairs to see the last eye of his father (109).  What’s more, during the novel we can feel that Stevens likes Miss Kenton but when he heard that Miss Kenton said that someone pursues her, he is still in the peace mood and express his congratulation to Miss Kenton.  In fact, he does not want Miss Kenton to get marry with other person (229).  He is limited by his “professionalism.”  Before the meeting, we still can find some clues that Stevens reveal his real emotions in the novel in the very obscure ways.  Nevertheless, after the meeting between him and Miss Kenton in the day four, his emotions exploded.  We will discover that in his diary of the day six, the words he uses is more affective than before he used.  The most obvious example in the novel is when he heard what Miss Kenton confessed to him: “why should I not admit it? – at that moment, my heart was breaking” (252).  This is the first time he faces to his real emotion without the restraint, and then uses such frank words to express what he feels. 

    Stevens’s attitude’s change in the final part of the novel also changes the atmosphere from oppressive to optimistic.  The key turning point in his memory and his journey has the relevance with Miss Kenton.  We can surmise that Miss Kenton is an important role in Stevens’s life.

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Work cited:

Kazuo Ishiguro. The Remains of the Day. London: Faber and Faber Limited, 2005.