Lit Blog

Every now and then I come across some really intriguing pieces of world literature that do more for me than purely entertain. Admit it. Most of the time, we approach literature (and by literature I also refer to film) with the intent on being entertained above all, and maybe learning something interesting or valuable in the process (if we're lucky...or perhaps, attentive enough?!) Anyhow, there are two recent that are honorable mentions. One's a film, and the other a dystopian novel:

Let's start with the film: Penelope, starring Christina Ricci and (my personal favorite actor right now) James McAvoy.

I won't go into great detail about plot and such, but if you haven't seen it and are planning to, you should maybe skip this paragraph, just in case I spoil some of it for you. I just want to focus on a quote from the very end of the film, spoken by a little boy - one of the students in Penelope's class - that resonates with me and my observation of people who view themselves - their appearance (or something about their appearance), believed inadequacies, etc - with insecurity and perhaps even obsession. Obsession in such a way that it debilitates any healthy notions of self. "It's not the power of the curse, it's the power you give the curse". Isn't that just a fantastic line? And so true. In the film, the "curse" of Penelope's snout is not perceived as a curse to her, but to everyone else, most especially her mother. When Penelope (or more so, her snout) is finally exposed to the world, the hype that was created slowly dies down as she gradually becomes accepted for who she is. The curse breaks not as a result of marriage, or love from another, but when she decides that she likes herself the way she is, snout and all. In ways similar, the "curses" in our own lives are only as potent as the power we willingly (yet perhaps, unknowingly, or stubbornly) attribute it. They need not destroy our lives, but yet we allow them to.

Now to the novel: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

This dystopian novel endeavors to paint a picture of a utopian world void of everything that makes us human, in particular: wrongdoing (sin) and the need for God. In the centuries of effort it took this New World to get to where it is, what occurs is a genetic engineering of humanity: cloned and conditioned (in the most effective and organized way possible) to function in a stable society, within a stable social order that each individual functions to support. Every last detail is explained, so that there does not appear to be any loopholes or gray areas in terms of how the society functions and remains stable. Now of course, what's a good novel without conflict? Somehow there remained a "Savage Reservation" made up of people equivalent to us today, living out humanity: families, love, hate, jealousy, art, religion, passion/compassion etc. One "Savage" (born of a "civilized" parents) is allowed the opportunity to see and live among the "civilized" people, and it is through him that we get the wisdom of this book. A good three chapters are devoted to dialogue between the Savage and the World Controller (President type figure), which makes me wonder if Huxley had a religious background. There's a lot I could quote, but I'll stick with some brief excerpts. These occur in conversation about the un-necessity of God in the New World because life is, essentially, perfect: "Religious sentiment tends to develop as we grow older...as the passions grow calm, as the fancy and sensibilities are less excited and less excitable" (233). Further, "[One] can only be independent of God while [one] has youth and prosperity; independence won't take you safely to the end. Well, we got youth and prosperity right up to the end" (233).

To which the Savage responds:

"If you allowed yourselves to think of God, you wouldn't allow yourselves to be degraded by pleasant vices. You'd have a reason for bearing things patiently, for doing things with courage" (236).

In other words, life is not meant to be perfected. There is, and will never be, perfection because humanity is imperfect. Imperfection is in our blood; rebellion is in our nature, as is the desire to love and be loved. And in that same vein is the natural inclination (combined with grace) to believe in God. Living life and knowing God are not meant to be mutually exclusive. Essentially, they cannot be. God is the Creator of all life and, as much as we run after independence, we are dependent. We will never live in a perfect world that is void of everything terrible - death, war, sickness, suffering, poverty, hate - because such a world cannot exist when those who inhabit it are, by nature, instigators of such. And, among other things, that's why we need God.

Well, that's my review and I could go on but I'd probably bore you to death so I'll stop here. I recommend both if you're looking for an entertaining (and insightful) view and read.