Into the Darkness...

 

The Hemingway Code

* Heros are frequently NUMB, emotionally WOUNDED, people who have had their values destroyed.

* Their only solace is in their stoic acceptance of their fates.

* Only escape from the CYNICISM and BRUTALITY of society is in simple, repetetive tasks.

* Only in these "small" arenas is it possible for them to face life with grace, dignity, and style.

* This particular story lacks a hero. However, the setting itself is a metaphor for Hemingway's code.

* Through a repetition of the words "clean" and "light", and fo the images of the cafe', the reader begins to realize that the bar is the stage on which the older waiter lives out his code of life.

* Through physical elements, like the polished bar, and the placement of light, the underlying sense of nada is compensated for. However, there are still shadows surrounding this one, small oasis of light.

The older waiter understands the old man b/c both are AWARE of the NOTHINGNESS that surrounds them. Both are committed to the significance of the bar because that is the one physical thing compensating fro the loss fo faith and hope, which to Hemingway, were abstract values.

* The 2 waiters have entirely different concepts of "nada". The signifcance and meaning of this repeated word is lost on the younger waiter b/c he lacks the experience, insight, lonliness, and "need" that old age brings.

The description of the older waiter is somber and haunting; in the end, readers are made aware of the darkness within his soul.

The message of the story is that we can salvage something from the "nada" IF we do our work well, and above all else, retain our dignity.

The title is ironic b/c late-night bars are usually anything but clean and well-lit, and the mood is usually less than pleasant. Even the most clean and well-lit place is a dark and dingy one...

EXISTENTIALISM: A SUMMARY.

WE define oruselves through living: making choices and following them through. Only thsi act of choosing, i.e. living, gives oru lives meaning.

Human nature, spirit, faith, etc. are all well and good, but they are pointless unless we act accordingly. What we do is the only tangible measure of our being.

This implies that we are defined through our interaction with others. Brotherhood and responsibilty (political commitment and action) play a huge role some Existentialists, i.e. Camus.

WE have meaning because our our actions: our existence, not b/c of our throughts/spirit: our essence: 'Existence preceds Essence'

The underlying concepts of Existentialism are simple:

Mankind has free will.

Life is a series of choices, creating stress.

Few decisions are without any negative consequences.

Some things are irrational or absurd, without explanation.

If one makes a decision, her or she must follow through.

MAJOR THEMES: Moral Individualism, Subjectivity, Choice and Commitment, Dread and Anxiety.

Existentialism is a philosophical movement that views human existence as having a set of underlying themes and characteristics, such as anxiety, dread, freedom, awareness of death, and consciousness of existing, that are primary. They cannot be reduced or explained by a scientific approach.

Heideggar coined the term "THROWN"-- human beings are "thrown into existence"... "existence is prior to essence". There are 3 schools of Existentialists: Atheistic, [Sartre] Christian [Kierkegaard], and the 3rd proposes that whether or not god exists is irrelevent to the issue of human existence. [Heidegger]

Philosophers: Pascal [saw life in terms of paradoxes; for example SELF=mind & body; also rejected the rigorous rationalism of Descartes, asserting that a systematic philosophy that presumes to explain God and humanity is a source of pride] , Kierkegaard ["founder of modern existentialism", reacting against tghe idealism of Hegel,stressed the ambiguity and absurdity of the human situation. Individuals must live totally committed lives-- understood only by the selWe must be prepared to defy "norms" for the sake of higher authority and seek personal validity... believed that Christianity was a "leap of faith" but could save individuals from despair-- his was a "radically individualistic Christianity"], Nietzsche [tragic pessimism-- also, the life-affirming indivdual will that opposes itself to the moral conformity of the majority... proclaimed the "death of God" and rejected the entire Judeo-Christian moral tradition in favor of the heroic pagan ideal], Heideggar [Humanity finds itself in an incomprehensible, indifferent world. We can't understand while we are here, so we must just choose a goal and follow it with passionate conviction-- aware of the certainty of death and meaningless of life], Sartre [leading figure of Exist.; atheistic and pessimistic, he declared that human beings require a rational basis for their lives but are unable to achieve one, and thus hjuman life is a "futile passion". Emphasisi on freedom, choice, and responsibilty.] These philosphers influenced Exisistentialist writers-- like Kafka and Camus... and Hemingway.

 

NIHILISM: a philosophical position arguing that the world, and esp. human existence, is without objective meaning, purpose, chomprehensible truth, or essential value. Either 1) Nothing Exists; 2)the reality we experience does not exist as we see it, or 3) reality is unknowable, and thus understanding externality will always be pointless.

It is also a "characteristic"; some consider modernity and postmodernity as NIHILISTIC eras b/c of the rejection of God and authority. It was authoritarian figures who said this :)

Nietzsche described Christianity as a nihilistic religion b/c it evaded the challenge of finding meaning in earthly life.

 

MODERNISM: Emerged in mid 19th century France, rooted in the idea that "traditional" forms of art, lit, social organization, and daily life had become outdated... culture needed to be reinvented. B/c the new realities of the 20th century were permanent and imminet, people should adapt their world view.  The precursors to Modernism emerged in France: Baudelaire & Flaubert  in literature, Manet in painting. It came later in music and architecture. First deemed "avant-garde", Modernism in part identifies with an attempt to overthrow some aspect of tradition or the status quo. The tension and unease with social order took hold with the reality of WWI.


"HILLS LIKE WHITE ELEPHANTS"

-Set in Spain.

Conversational-- lit device: dialogue.

Plain Language.

White Elephant-- symbol?

 

"A Hunger Artist" (1922)

The story details gtghe life of a profesional "hunger artist"-- or "fasting artist". "On many levels, the story deals with the ideas of willing nothingness and asceticism as put forth in Nietzsche's texts".

Our Hunger Artist 1. Wishes for fame through fasting 2. Despises the limitations "imposed upon his performance" 3. Tries to retain the interest of teh viewers, but they believe him to be a cheat 4. In the end, his trials and tribulations do not gain him public acceptance; he is the lone "satisfied spectator of himself".

He takes a job with the circus in hopes of carrying on his fast and gaining new support with new crowds. However, interest again fades, and the circus staff neglects him, even failign to change the signs around his cage-- losing track of how long it has been.

When the circus owner comes to reclaim his cage, everyone thinks it is empty; but there they find the hunger artist in the hay. It is revealed then that he had fast because "there was no food that he liked". He then dies and is buried with the hay-- and the cage is filled with a black panther who draws large crowds and ironically, consumes meats that are given to him.

The story has been described as "at once a dream and utterly real"... even though no hunger artist could exist exactly as described here, all of the events and feelings seem true to life. "Subtle, dark humor" also pervades the story, as it does with all of Kafka's work.

The artist is a "typical Kafka protagonist": ALIENATED, MISUNDERSTOOD, VICTIM OF SOCIETY. 

Kafka often felt "unappreciated and misunderstood"; he asked htat his unpublished work be burned after his death. However, his wishes were not honored. The term "KAFKAESQUE" was coined to describe teh "nightmarish logic of his dark fables... and a pervading sense of alienation".

It is interesting to note that Kafka also had a preoccupation with food-- and became a vegetarian out of "sanctity for life"-- feeling that he couldn't co-exist with animals in peace if he was aware of eating them. He was always thin and suffered from tuberculosis (diagnosed 1917, died 1924).

A major theme in the story is "suffering as art". "The pleasure and artistry of fasting comes form the free will he exercises in his self-denial and masochism. Though he is confined to a cage, he has complete control over his pain and hunger" (for the most part). Kafka romanticizes him as a "starving artist" (play on words".

The hunger artist questions the validity of his art when he admits fasting is easy (but nobody believes him) a

 

 

---

and when he says he shouldn't be admired for fasting b/c he just doesn't like food.

He is alienated from society-- and being alienated causes him to suffer. If he wouldn't have felt alienated by the world, then he would not have chosen to suffer. This logic undermines free will and makes his fasting a reflex-- not a choice.  Artists often use art to relieve their suffering and to share it with others. However, for this artist, the audience views his suffering as entertainment. His failure to make the audience understand him only makes him suffer more.  He sees his suffering as "high art"-- not just entertainment. And like most artists, he seeks validation from the viewers... but they don't believe that he is fasting all of the time-- they think he is cheating. This creates a cycle: "the more he suffers, the less his audience understands him, so he suffers even more". He still seeks superiority-- he tries to break world records, etc. He views the butchers as weak... b/c people don't understand him, he can continue his "air of superiority".

He hints at what he truly seeks when he purses his lips (as if to kiss) the overseer-- perhaps his true wish was for love-- not suffering and starvation-- perhaps he was starved of love.

The audience's fascination with suffering is only of interest when it happens to others... and they refuse to believe he is suffering as much as he claims. The panther is an ironic symbol-- as it is a symbol of appetite and an animal that inflicts suffering.

There are also allusions in the story to Christ & Judaism. The impresario limits the hunger artist's fasts to 40 days-- same amount of time Jesus is said to have fasted. While Christ suffered for humanity, HA suffers because of humanity. Kafka's "marginalized, alienated" characters afre often Jews... Consider the hunger artist as a "suffering martyr":

Martyr: 1. a person who voluntarily suffers death as the penalty of refusing to renounce a relgion. 2. a person who sacrifices something of great value, often his own life, for a principle. 3. a victim, or a great or constant sufferer. The first 2 defintions are "noble" and "Christ-like"... the 3rd is not... and there si where his asscoiation with Christ ends. No one benefits from his death... in fact, it only renews the audience's fascination with suffering as it takes in the violent panther.

The executor of Kafka's estate was Max Brod, who thankfully published many of Kafka's works posthumously.


 

" Franz Kafka
Photograph of Franz Kafka taken in 1906 Born 3 July 1883(1883-07-03)
Prague, Austria-Hungary Died 3 June 1924 (aged 40)
Kierling near Vienna, Austria Occupation insurance officer, factory manager, novelist, short story writer Nationality Jewish-Bohemian (Austria-Hungary) Genres novel, short story Literary movement modernism, existentialism, precursor to magical realism Notable work(s) The Trial, The Castle, The Metamorphosis Signature

Franz Kafka (IPA: [ˈfʀanʦ ˈkafka]) (3 July 1883 – 3 June 1924) was one of the major fiction writers of the 20th century. He was born to a middle-class German-speaking Jewish family in Prague, Austria-Hungary, presently the Czech Republic. His unique body of writing—much of which is incomplete and which was mainly published posthumously—is considered by some people to be among the most influential in Western literature.[1]

His stories, such as The Metamorphosis (1915), and novels, including The Trial (1925) and The Castle (1926), concern troubled individuals in a nightmarishly impersonal and bureaucratic world.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Kafka

 



 

More on "Hills Like White Elephants" (from Wikipedia)

The story takes place at a train station in the Ebro River valley of Spain. The time setting is not given, but is almost certainly contemporary to the composition (1920s). This particular day is oppressively hot and dry, and the scenery in the valley is barren and ugly for the most part. The two main characters are a man (referred to only as "the American") and his female companion, whom he calls Jig.

The American and Jig drink beer and a liquor called Anis del Toro while waiting for the train to Madrid. Their conversation is mundane at first, but quickly drifts to the subject of an operation which the American is attempting to convince Jig to undergo. Though it is never made explicit in the text, it is made clear (through phrases of dialogue such as "It's just to let the air in" and "But I don't want anybody but you," among numerous context clues) that Jig is pregnant and that the procedure in question is an abortion.

After posing arguments to which the American is largely unresponsive, Jig eventually assents to the operation, giving the final justification: "I don't care about me." She attempts to drop the subject, but the American persists as if still unsure of Jig's intentions and mental state. As the train approaches, he carries their bags to the platform and has a drink alone before rejoining Jig. She smiles at him, assures him that she is "fine", and the story ends.



[Themes and recurring elements "Hills Like White Elephants" is thematically rich, given its short length and sparse narrative. On the surface, it deals with concepts such as the conflict between personal responsibility and hedonism; rhetorical and psychological manipulation; coming of age; and the dynamics of the romantic relationship and its metamorphosis into the family. At a more abstract and general level, it can be interpreted as a statement about the Zeitgeist of the Roaring Twenties and the lifestyles and attitudes of the post-World War I "Lost Generation" of American expatriates in Europe.[1]

Jig's reference to white elephants could be in reply to the baby. The American could see the baby as a white elephant and not want to raise it because of the cost, while Jig could see the child as an extraordinary addition to her mundane life of drinking and mindless traveling.

Johnston, Kenneth G. (Autumn, 1982), "Hills Like White Elephants", Studies in American Fiction Vol. 10 (2): pp. 233–38 </ref>



Symbolism and setting The title of the story refers to an aspect of its setting which is symbolically important in many ways. Jig draws a simple simile by describing the hills across the desolate valley as looking like white elephants. The implication is that, just as Jig thinks the hills in the distance look like white elephants, the American views the couple's unborn child as an approaching obstacle, a hindrance to the status quo or status quo ante---a white elephant. To avoid this impending responsibility, he hypocritically attempts to manipulate Jig into having an abortion by presenting the operation as a simple procedure that is in her best interests, a panacea for all that is ailing her and troubling their relationship.

Furthermore, this symbolism combined with Jig's question "That's all we do, isn't it--look at things and try new drinks" and her statement that even exciting new things she has waited a long time to try, like absinthe (sometimes valued as an aphrodisiac), merely end up "tasting like licorice," implies that the couple's perpetually ambling, hedonistic lifestyle has become something of a metaphorical white elephant to her. It appears that she seeks more stability and permanence in life; "It isn't ours anymore," she complains of the carefree lifestyle she and the American have been pursuing from one hotel to the next.

The symbolism of the hills and the big white elephant can be thought of as the image of the swollen breasts and abdomen of a pregnant woman, and to the prenatal dream of the mother of the future Buddha in which a white elephant (in this case, a symbol of prestigious leadership) enters her womb.[2]

Apart from the eponymous hills, other parts of the setting provide symbolism which expresses the tension and conflict surrounding the couple. The train tracks form a dividing line between the barren expanse of land stretching toward the hills on one side and the green, fertile farmland on the other, symbolizing the choice faced by each of the main characters and their differing interpretations of the dilemma of pregnancy. Jig focuses on the landscape during the conversation, rarely making eye contact with the American. [3]

At the end of the story, the American takes the initiative to pick up the couple's luggage and port it to the "other tracks" on the opposite side of the station, symbolizing his sense of primacy in making the decision to give up their child and betraying his insistence to Jig that the decision is entirely in her hands.

Jig's name is symbolically significant, as is the fact that her real name is never given, that "Jig" is only her lover's pet name for her. In addition to being a dated slang term for sexual intercourse, the word jig can mean a sprightly Celtic dance or any of several different kinds of tools (whiskey measurer, fishing lure, woodworking tool, etc.); this implies that the American views Jig as more of a loving object or tool---a "fine time," to use his own words---than a person with feelings and values to be respected.[4]