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Yes, that is a hard part of the novel. I had trouble with that too when I was in college. But when I read it for the book club in this read, I found that fascinating and perfect for the novel. Of course this was my third time reading it. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Hira
I am sure I am gonna need double that time to completely understand it. It went completely over my head, that part. I am sure I would have left reading the book if I hadn't search a bit of background and analysis of the themes on the internet and in this thread. I do like the first page now, this stream of consciousness of Stephen as a little child. The first time I read it, I was like ... huh? I also read the origin of Stephen's name and I find that fascinating.
By the way, I can't find the translations of those Latin paragraphs. Do you know of a link or something where I can find them?
Could someone please, please, please explain this part, just a bit. Don't get it at all!
Quote:
Stephen went on:
-- Pity is the feeling which arrests the mind in the presence of whatsoever is grave and constant in human sufferings and unites it with the human sufferer. Terror is the feeling which arrests the mind in the presence of whatsoever is grave and constant in human sufferings and unites it with the secret cause.
-- Repeat, said Lynch.
Stephen repeated the definitions slowly.
-- A girl got into a hansom a few days ago, he went on, in London. She was on her way to meet her mother whom she had not seen for many years. At the corner of a street the shaft of a lorry shivered the window of the hansom in the shape of a star. A long fine needle of the shivered glass pierced her heart. She died on the instant. The reporter called it a tragic death. It is not. It is remote from terror and pity according to the terms of my definitions.
-- The tragic emotion, in fact, is a face looking two ways, towards terror and towards pity, both of which are phases of it. You see I use the word arrest. I mean that the tragic emotion is static. Or rather the dramatic emotion is. The feelings excited by improper art are kinetic, desire or loathing. Desire urges us to possess, to go to something; loathing urges us to abandon, to go from something. The arts which excite them, pornographical or didactic, are therefore improper arts. The esthetic emotion (I used the general term) is therefore static. The mind is arrested and raised above desire and loathing.
Oh, people don't come to this thread!! I did get a bit of it, after reading 3-4 times or so. But any help would be appreciated, lol.
where can i find this book online plz§