The Literature Network

Go Back   Literature Network Forums > Discussion on Specific Authors & Books > Author List: > James, Henry > The Beast in the Jungle

Notices

Reply
 
Thread Tools Rate Thread
Old 05-05-2008, 04:49 PM   #1
Dark Muse
The Poetic Warrior
 
Dark Muse's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Within the winds
Posts: 5,310
Blog Entries: 545
Self-Fulfilling Prophesy

To me this story seemed almost to be about a self-fulfilling prophesy in someway's. Marcher, held this belief that this great and terrible event was going to come into his life, and so he ultimately ends up being the cause of his own distress by wasting away his life waiting for this "thing" to happen to him, and ultimately the "thing" that had happened to him was his waiting for it to happen instead of actually leaving his life.

If he had never had the notion or sense of this "thing" to start with, than he might have had a different perspective, and thus it would not have happened, because he would not have spent his whole life just waiting for it to happen.
__________________

Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before. ~ Edgar Allan Poe
Dark Muse is offline   Reply With Quote
Word from our Sponsor:

Old 05-05-2008, 04:59 PM   #2
Virgil
Vincit Qui Se Vincit
 
Virgil's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: New York
Posts: 18,246
Blog Entries: 93
It's been a while since I read it Muse, and I think very highly of this story, one of my all time favorites, but from what I remember the point was that he wasted his life waiting for this great event to change his life while in front of him was the person who could have changed his life. He let the opportunity go by and missed the great event. Or am I remembering it incorrectly?
__________________
LET THERE BE LIGHT

"That day I shall always recollect with grief; with reverence also, for the gods so willed it." - Virgil, The Aeneid (V, 49)

Distracted from distraction by distraction
Virgil is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-05-2008, 05:05 PM   #3
Dark Muse
The Poetic Warrior
 
Dark Muse's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Within the winds
Posts: 5,310
Blog Entries: 545
Yes that is correct, but the way I see it, if he never beleived in the idea of this "Great event" than he would not have spent his life waiting for it, and so he might have acutally lived his life, instead of waiting for life to come to him. And he was always worried that it would be a terrible thing that would visit him, and in that regaurd he sort of wrote his own fate.
__________________

Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before. ~ Edgar Allan Poe
Dark Muse is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-05-2008, 05:07 PM   #4
Nightshade
Lady of Smilies
 
Nightshade's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Now that would be telling it, wouldnt it?
Posts: 13,502
Blog Entries: 140
Your rembering it correctly virg, Ive been reading this ( my first for the litnet challanege -see my blog) anyway I dont think it is SFP becausethat would involve what he ios expecting to happen happen, in fact its the very antithesis of self forfilling prophecy because although he expects the disater it never comes , instead he is constantly waiting for the SFP to kick in.
__________________
My mission in life is to make YOU smile
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The time has come," the Walrus said,"To talk of many things:

Forum Rules- You know you want to read 'em

|Litnet Challange status = 5/260
|currently reading
Nightshade is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-05-2008, 05:14 PM   #5
Virgil
Vincit Qui Se Vincit
 
Virgil's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: New York
Posts: 18,246
Blog Entries: 93
Thanks Muse and Night.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dark Muse View Post
Yes that is correct, but the way I see it, if he never beleived in the idea of this "Great event" than he would not have spent his life waiting for it, and so he might have acutally lived his life, instead of waiting for life to come to him. And he was always worried that it would be a terrible thing that would visit him, and in that regaurd he sort of wrote his own fate.
I would agree with this.
__________________
LET THERE BE LIGHT

"That day I shall always recollect with grief; with reverence also, for the gods so willed it." - Virgil, The Aeneid (V, 49)

Distracted from distraction by distraction
Virgil is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off



Enter your email address to subscribe to the forum newsletter:


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 03:11 PM.


Powered by: vBulletin, Copyright ©2000 - 2006, Jelsoft Enterprises Limited.
Site Copyright © 2000-2004 Jalic LLC. All rights reserved.