It would be interesting to analyze how Demons became a masterpiece despite being conceived by Dostoevsky for ostensibly pamphleteering purposes. It is a real feat that this has happened, since the most likely destination of a work motivated in this way is the trash can. It is impressive not only Dostoevsky’s ability to give scope to the episode, but also the sense of urgency and importance only possible in a true visionary. The work, therefore, ended up being strengthened by the same qualities that ordinarily foul it up. More than a real, complex, original and profound plot, it came out as a denouncement and a prophecy, being equally valuable to philosophers, psychologists and historians. Very few are the works of which one can say the same.
Tag: literature
It Seems Certain That, One Day, Brazil Will Make…
It seems certain that, one day, Brazil will make the Brazilian language official, since time inevitably particularizes the language spoken in different lands, making idiomatic unity increasingly difficult. There are, in this, many plausible reasons and many mistakes. The first of these is the assumption that a language must have a “unity”, that is, it must be spoken in the same way unanimously. It is laughable to think that, if such a Brazilian language becomes official, it will not be susceptible to the same regional variations and the same evolutionary processes that all widely spoken languages have undergone and will undergo. One has to be very ignorant to suppose that some pens will guide the language spoken in the streets, when it is this that, ultimately, guides the grammars. Stupid measures like this latest orthographic agreement only make it more evident. On the other hand, it is understandable and even natural that a nation long for an authentic expression. But one must be very careful to distinguish to what extent this authenticity represents a necessary evolution, rather than a sudden break with the roots that allowed it to evolve.
The Artist Who Worries Too Much…
The artist who worries too much about the socio-political conjunctures of his time will soon find himself wasting his intellect with questions he cannot solve, that is, he will waste neurons uselessly and end up frustrated. Of course, this is not very intelligent… If there are issues of this nature that can affect him, the prudent thing to do is just to know about them, be prepared if necessary, and if they do come knocking on his door, adapts as best he can. So act, but only if he have no other option. And for the rest, do not worry about what he does not have control over, focusing on what is most important and what allows him a field of action.
The Impression One Gets After Reading…
The impression one gets after reading several nautical novels is that man, in order to embark on a sailing ship, had to suffer from at least one serious mental disorder. It is very amusing to see how absurd the navigations of the past seem to us today, when ships were like toys exposed to the fury of the sea and travelers, harassed by the terrors of the storms, were on their knees before fate. This voluntary exposure to the unknown seems irrational to us, although it expresses a courage that we lack today. But the clash of the man with the irrational, the powerful and uncontrollable still exists; although we no longer learn lessons as before, nor do we leave with the same dignity.