Letters from "Cloud Atlas"
December 12, 2015
G.D.O'Bradovich III
introduction
During the previous weeks, I have been at the Fairbanks Memorial Library or, as most patrons call it, the public library. As is known, Carnegie endowed many libraries across the county in the early years of the twentieth century and my home town benefited. Crawford Fairbanks endowed the public library in Terre Haute circa 1906 and named it after his mother.
The new library in Terre Haute was opened in the 1970's [see the movie “Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid”] and was renamed the Public Library. I remember the new library filled with books, not so long ago, and concluded the old library must have been overflowing with books, so a larger library was needed. Today, with one wing dedicated to computers, no so much. Yesterday, I checked on the availability of “Cloud Atlas” the novel and, after being checked out for weeks, it was available. Since it is fiction, I had some difficulty finding the book, as I don't recall ever being in the fiction section.
If the following commentary is unorganized, not coherent, and difficult to follow, we suggest this structure as an homage to the movie version of "Cloud Atlas", and not necessarily to random remembrances during writing.
The new library in Terre Haute was opened in the 1970's [see the movie “Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid”] and was renamed the Public Library. I remember the new library filled with books, not so long ago, and concluded the old library must have been overflowing with books, so a larger library was needed. Today, with one wing dedicated to computers, no so much. Yesterday, I checked on the availability of “Cloud Atlas” the novel and, after being checked out for weeks, it was available. Since it is fiction, I had some difficulty finding the book, as I don't recall ever being in the fiction section.
If the following commentary is unorganized, not coherent, and difficult to follow, we suggest this structure as an homage to the movie version of "Cloud Atlas", and not necessarily to random remembrances during writing.
part the first
Surprisingly, “Cloud Atlas” was available, after weeks of waiting for the single copy that is in the library's holding. The library closes early on Saturday and, needless to say, I could neither read nor adequately analyze the book in the allotted time. We did find that the reference to “career churchmen like Pater" confirms Robert Frobisher's father is a vicar. Of particular interest was Frobisher's final letter, if only for the Nietzschean idea of Eternal Recurrence. In the acknowledgments, the author himself notes Ayr's use of Fred's ideas and wording. We hold the similar dates of today's and Robert's final letter as coincidence. If we apply any additional criteria or meaning, we would be charged with being unreasonable- lest we are desirous of seeing in a fortuitously returned book and a randomly chosen date in a novel as significant, which, alas, we can not do.
The concept of Eternal Recurrence is clear from the final letter's listing of historical events and Robert's belief in returning again to experience the same life. Roberts' re-meeting Rufus and re-falling in love- better as Sci Fi than reality. If the movie version were as the book, six ascending sections and five descending conclusions in the timeline, it would be easier to follow, of course, the scope of my suggested movie would form a trilogy or a series. I am reluctant to embrace the philosophical concept of Eternal Recurrence, if only because, perhaps unlike Fred, I am aware there is more than one time line, multiple universes with various and unlimited possibilities.
“To force another to endure the intolerable, to avoid soul searching”- we wonder how much truth there is present in this statement. Robert clearly states his action is not due to a rejected love, as the those with Noble sentiments would not need to be told this, but the those readers of popularity morality would, no doubt, reach the improper conclusion regarding his actions without an explicit statement. There is much material that an Occultist can make of the work, provided with enough time, motivation, and insight. It is possible that the elements of the story breaks into 36 (6 x 6) elements or motifs and we suppose there would be 36 distinct parts and the variations or hints found scattered throughout the six stories. Since the ending of the book returns to the initial journal of Adam [Ewing], we have an ending that is the beginning.
Elaine Pagels was mentioned at the end of the book and I found this fact to be interesting as I have been familiar with her work for many years- such is Pagels' stature- and I'm certain she has not read "Cloud Atlas". This novel is best left to popular culture, movie directors, and Great Occultists, not acknowledged experts in a narrow field of academia- early Christian studies.
We learn that Robert met Rufus ten years ago and, again, we can not assign any significance to the numbers found in this story of a one hit wonder (the sextet) and our similar experience with reality. The researcher may find an interesting correlation between the supposed 36 “themes” and the decans of the Zodiac, where our reincarnated protagonist is the sun who encounters the decans through his annual journey, although we suspect that these are not found in astronomical order. We can share the writer's insights into Robert's mentality- the elder brother faced his death on the battlefield, not quit the same as a bathtub, but death none the less- natural trepidation. “Every living creature dies alone.”
The concept of Eternal Recurrence is clear from the final letter's listing of historical events and Robert's belief in returning again to experience the same life. Roberts' re-meeting Rufus and re-falling in love- better as Sci Fi than reality. If the movie version were as the book, six ascending sections and five descending conclusions in the timeline, it would be easier to follow, of course, the scope of my suggested movie would form a trilogy or a series. I am reluctant to embrace the philosophical concept of Eternal Recurrence, if only because, perhaps unlike Fred, I am aware there is more than one time line, multiple universes with various and unlimited possibilities.
“To force another to endure the intolerable, to avoid soul searching”- we wonder how much truth there is present in this statement. Robert clearly states his action is not due to a rejected love, as the those with Noble sentiments would not need to be told this, but the those readers of popularity morality would, no doubt, reach the improper conclusion regarding his actions without an explicit statement. There is much material that an Occultist can make of the work, provided with enough time, motivation, and insight. It is possible that the elements of the story breaks into 36 (6 x 6) elements or motifs and we suppose there would be 36 distinct parts and the variations or hints found scattered throughout the six stories. Since the ending of the book returns to the initial journal of Adam [Ewing], we have an ending that is the beginning.
Elaine Pagels was mentioned at the end of the book and I found this fact to be interesting as I have been familiar with her work for many years- such is Pagels' stature- and I'm certain she has not read "Cloud Atlas". This novel is best left to popular culture, movie directors, and Great Occultists, not acknowledged experts in a narrow field of academia- early Christian studies.
We learn that Robert met Rufus ten years ago and, again, we can not assign any significance to the numbers found in this story of a one hit wonder (the sextet) and our similar experience with reality. The researcher may find an interesting correlation between the supposed 36 “themes” and the decans of the Zodiac, where our reincarnated protagonist is the sun who encounters the decans through his annual journey, although we suspect that these are not found in astronomical order. We can share the writer's insights into Robert's mentality- the elder brother faced his death on the battlefield, not quit the same as a bathtub, but death none the less- natural trepidation. “Every living creature dies alone.”
part the second
We wonder why Robert counted down the time- we read that suicide is a well paced action- and we suggest that his method is not prone to the I “feel” it, now I don't “feel” it- the indecisiveness- that we suspect that is common, all too common, to suicide. Robert manifests the will to power in regards to the completion of the sextet and the day and hour of his death. The countdown must be significant to his understanding or outlook- is it inevitable?
Surely, his financial and social positions -not to mention his spurned love, Eva, and although we do not doubt that Robert loved Rufus, her rejection weighted on his psyche. We see his obsession with his work, with music, in the last week. Robert gave himself a week to finish his work after being asked to leave the Majestic, a better hotel, for run down hotel. The social and financial decline is brought to the forefront by his new and decrepit environment. The time element again. Interestingly, December 12 was a Saturday in the year 1931 -yet another coincidence, as approximately every seventh year the date falls on a Saturday. Robert's obsession with time must hold a significance- he mentions that he is not yet 25 years old.
We suppose the financial and social decline has become too much to endure and, as readers who care about the subject, we are led to agree. While the Romantics are surely disappointed, we must accept the story- no fan fiction on our part where Robert and Rufus enjoy a lifetime together and vacation in Wyoming in 1963 and meet two sheepherders. “To endure”-where is Fred's love of life? We suggest the love of life has been consumed in the creative process- burning bright- but not for long and then gone, like a firecracker. We compare this suggestion of youthful creativity to the aged Ayrs, who has been unable to compose for the last decade.
The Nobles are not forthcoming, that is, they are discreet with their affairs, sexual, financial, and otherwise, unlike the vulgar who relate all that they know. “Indiscretion” or “youthful indiscretion” is the wording used when others discover one's behavior that is not approved of by the masses. If the action or behavior does not become public, then life goes on without any attempt to justify it or explain it. We note that there is no effort to deny that the behavior did, in fact, transpire. We attribute this acceptance of reality as a result of being true to oneself.
From Robert's final letters, we conclude that his intolerable situation was given a definite time- one week at 5 am- and a defined goal, the completion of the sextet, and that the intolerable would endure for that specific time, but no longer. Robert placed a limit to the anguish. It will not continue- it being understood as Robert's declining financial and social statue. The suffering will stop, the pain will be gone.
Surely, his financial and social positions -not to mention his spurned love, Eva, and although we do not doubt that Robert loved Rufus, her rejection weighted on his psyche. We see his obsession with his work, with music, in the last week. Robert gave himself a week to finish his work after being asked to leave the Majestic, a better hotel, for run down hotel. The social and financial decline is brought to the forefront by his new and decrepit environment. The time element again. Interestingly, December 12 was a Saturday in the year 1931 -yet another coincidence, as approximately every seventh year the date falls on a Saturday. Robert's obsession with time must hold a significance- he mentions that he is not yet 25 years old.
We suppose the financial and social decline has become too much to endure and, as readers who care about the subject, we are led to agree. While the Romantics are surely disappointed, we must accept the story- no fan fiction on our part where Robert and Rufus enjoy a lifetime together and vacation in Wyoming in 1963 and meet two sheepherders. “To endure”-where is Fred's love of life? We suggest the love of life has been consumed in the creative process- burning bright- but not for long and then gone, like a firecracker. We compare this suggestion of youthful creativity to the aged Ayrs, who has been unable to compose for the last decade.
The Nobles are not forthcoming, that is, they are discreet with their affairs, sexual, financial, and otherwise, unlike the vulgar who relate all that they know. “Indiscretion” or “youthful indiscretion” is the wording used when others discover one's behavior that is not approved of by the masses. If the action or behavior does not become public, then life goes on without any attempt to justify it or explain it. We note that there is no effort to deny that the behavior did, in fact, transpire. We attribute this acceptance of reality as a result of being true to oneself.
From Robert's final letters, we conclude that his intolerable situation was given a definite time- one week at 5 am- and a defined goal, the completion of the sextet, and that the intolerable would endure for that specific time, but no longer. Robert placed a limit to the anguish. It will not continue- it being understood as Robert's declining financial and social statue. The suffering will stop, the pain will be gone.
part the third
Robert's well paced and methodical actions can not be compared to most suicide's haphazard false starts and half hearted follow through- whence comes the modern appellation of “attempted suicide”. Robert's sentiment or the attitude is not the same as the typical suicide, although the successful completion is the same. It is over- no stress about about where one lives, no worries about eating enough, and no dark imaginings regarding primal needs, secondary wants, and unfulfilled tertiary hopes. The end, the conclusion, or the finality is appealing for those who have been in decline for a prolonged time, where the decline is understood as financial and social, not mental.
We observe that Robert is the only person who writes letters and he is the only one who commits suicide. We know that suicides almost always leave a note and in our more cynical moments we would suggest that people, for an unknown reason, want to have the last word, perhaps in an attempt to justify their selfishness. In the final letter, Robert explains the reasons for his act and he requests of Rufus that the manuscript not be given to father to be forgotten in a drawer, but to be published and copies sent to certain individuals he has listed. It is consistent among suicides to have last requests and we submit the primary, if not the only, reason for such requests is the universal human longing to be remembered, that is, to not be forgotten.
We note the parallel between the true philosopher, who abandons the city to be with his thoughts, as contrasted to the political philosopher, who stays in the city to be adored by youths, and the true suicide, who abandons this world, contrasted to either the self explaining suicide or the last request seeking suicide that, like the city residing sham philosophers or sophists, are notably more frequent.
We observe that Robert is the only person who writes letters and he is the only one who commits suicide. We know that suicides almost always leave a note and in our more cynical moments we would suggest that people, for an unknown reason, want to have the last word, perhaps in an attempt to justify their selfishness. In the final letter, Robert explains the reasons for his act and he requests of Rufus that the manuscript not be given to father to be forgotten in a drawer, but to be published and copies sent to certain individuals he has listed. It is consistent among suicides to have last requests and we submit the primary, if not the only, reason for such requests is the universal human longing to be remembered, that is, to not be forgotten.
We note the parallel between the true philosopher, who abandons the city to be with his thoughts, as contrasted to the political philosopher, who stays in the city to be adored by youths, and the true suicide, who abandons this world, contrasted to either the self explaining suicide or the last request seeking suicide that, like the city residing sham philosophers or sophists, are notably more frequent.
We do not stay dead long. Robert's final letter |
Ne Cadant In Obscurum. Domine Jesu Christe |