Look Homeward, Angel
Before I go on for Act Two, scene two, in which my 'brother', Ben, dies, I listen to the scene before. It's in the marble yard of W.O. Gant, and at the end of this scene Ben and Gene are talking together for what will be their final conversation of the play. And this is the conversation that means the most to me of anything else in Look Homeward, Angel.
W.O. and Eliza have just had a major explosion and stormed off. Gene says, "Look at them, Ben, they must have had one moment in time that was perfect. What happens? It frightens me, Ben. How does something so perfect become this torture?"
And Ben says, "They don't know each other. Nobody ever really comes to know anybody."
And finishes with, "No matter what arms may clasp us, what heart may warm us, what lips may kiss us, we remain strangers. We never escape it...my God, is there no freedom on this earth?"
I know it sounds depressing to be the most moving moment to me, but it really strikes a chord. I think back to the two relationships that have been the closest to me, no the three that have. And only one of those has ever come close to being what I would call me knowing someone, and even now I think that that has changed. A lot of this has to do with some things Sarah was talking about in her post. And some things I've been thinking about, and also I suppose it even strikes a chord with Meet Joe Black. When the older Island lady is dying she says to Joe, "Don't be fooled, we mostly lonely here too. Sometimes, if we lucky, we have some nice pictures to take with us."
Ben's words are very true, I think. No matter how 'close' you come to another person you still won't know them. We don't even know ourselves that well. And there is no freedom on this earth, that's why it's all shadows. But sometimes the shadows fool us. But is that too bleak, who could live in that? And why live and to what purpose? Just to be alive, I find. But still it feels as though I'm trying to pick myself up, and people can only do that in cartoons.
But it's not hopeless.
I wished I could've seen Man of La Mancha last night. I'm glad I stayed at the work call for many reasons, but I wished I'd seen it too. I hate that I left Tiff alone.
I don't know what else to write so I am ending it here. :)
W.O. and Eliza have just had a major explosion and stormed off. Gene says, "Look at them, Ben, they must have had one moment in time that was perfect. What happens? It frightens me, Ben. How does something so perfect become this torture?"
And Ben says, "They don't know each other. Nobody ever really comes to know anybody."
And finishes with, "No matter what arms may clasp us, what heart may warm us, what lips may kiss us, we remain strangers. We never escape it...my God, is there no freedom on this earth?"
I know it sounds depressing to be the most moving moment to me, but it really strikes a chord. I think back to the two relationships that have been the closest to me, no the three that have. And only one of those has ever come close to being what I would call me knowing someone, and even now I think that that has changed. A lot of this has to do with some things Sarah was talking about in her post. And some things I've been thinking about, and also I suppose it even strikes a chord with Meet Joe Black. When the older Island lady is dying she says to Joe, "Don't be fooled, we mostly lonely here too. Sometimes, if we lucky, we have some nice pictures to take with us."
Ben's words are very true, I think. No matter how 'close' you come to another person you still won't know them. We don't even know ourselves that well. And there is no freedom on this earth, that's why it's all shadows. But sometimes the shadows fool us. But is that too bleak, who could live in that? And why live and to what purpose? Just to be alive, I find. But still it feels as though I'm trying to pick myself up, and people can only do that in cartoons.
But it's not hopeless.
I wished I could've seen Man of La Mancha last night. I'm glad I stayed at the work call for many reasons, but I wished I'd seen it too. I hate that I left Tiff alone.
I don't know what else to write so I am ending it here. :)