Review: The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (movie)

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

(warning: spoilers ahead)

Synopsis

The four Pevensie children return to a wild Narnia, about a 1000 years after their previous visit. Aiding the rightful heir, Prince Caspian, in his attempt to overthrow his usurping uncle, Lord Miraz, the Pevensie children succeed in freeing the rightful people of Narnia and restore it – with the aid of Aslan.

Film in General

Compared to the first film (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe) directed by Adamson, around 3 years ago, Prince Caspian is a `darker` film, to be sure. However, concerned parents should not be put off by the action packed trailer. While many do die, blood and violence is definitely not focussed on – leaving the message of the dangers of war still strong, without, what some would consider, unnecessary gore.

CG usage and acting abilities has also risen favorably in this film – with a solid cast now used to acting within the world of Narnia. The children are believable in their struggles (personal or national), the new Narnians we are introduced to are engaging and the Telmarines are depicted in a very complex manner. Prince Caspian in particular is set very carefully in a social framework and his hesitancy (more on that later) is adequately covered, I think.

Once again, Adamson and Gresham seem to be still tying the everday life of our world in with the Narnian world, which I think is an important piece in this series – since the children, we must remember, are as much a product of Earth`s society, as well as Narnian. Therefore, the issue of agency which plagues Peter and the social mores which Susan is learning to juggle are touched on briefly – no doubt in preperation for the revelation at the end of the film.

Also, another important factor, the soundtrack is a good grounding for the hearer. Familiar melodies will be recognized by the watcher, for example, Imogen Heap`s song is used at the beginning during the beach scene… and there is a definite touch of Kingdom of Heaven in some of the battle scenes. I found the last track and the goodbye scenes to be very well done, to be honest. It really tugged on your heart strings in a soft gentle way (similar to the goodbye scene in Lord of the Rings: Return of the King) – but as they turn away, Regina Spektor (the new choice for the ending) begins her song `The Call`. My favorite lines in her song are:

Now we’re back to the beginning
It’s just a feeling and now one knows yet
But just because they can’t feel it too
Doesn’t mean that you have to forget

Let your memories grow stronger and stronger
‘Til they’re before your eyes

You’ll come back
When they call you
No need to say good bye

I think this was a PARTICULARLY good piece to end the movie with. It is a moving, simple song which reminds us all that memory plays a large part in how we say goodbye. This also shows us the importance of moving on and looking back at the same time (a key theme for Peter and Susan).

Differences Between the Book and the Movie

As per usual with movies, there are changes made in the transition between book and movie, I will discuss the impact of this later, but for now, a little discussion on some changes (for those who have not read it yet, or haven`t read it for some time).

1. Prince Caspian: In the book, he is depicted as being young (around Peter`s age) and golden-haired, looking like his father. He is not, in fact, introduced at the very beginning of the book, but rather his story is told as a story within the story. This style of storytelling does two things. It shortens the length of the overall story and subtracts from the importance of Prince Caspian as a person – in a way, pushing his journey to the background in favor of showing the journey of the children. In the movie, however, Prince Caspian`s story begins the movie, bringing him, in my opinion, much closer to us the viewer – and causing us to invest in his story as equally as anyone elses. Also, the question of accent and coloring comes up. The question is – why the Spanish-Mediterranean influence?

2. Sequence of Events: In the book, chronologically (not in order of the story telling), Caspian flees, gathers the Narnians and then summons the children during a skirmish. They are pulled from our world to a place near Cair Paraval and then set about “solving” the mystery, and then eventually meet Trumpkin and get filled in on all the details. Then they get to meeting Prince Caspian – but not before the girls are taken by Aslan to create backup in other parts of the realm. It is the two boys who come in time to stop the revival of the White Witch and Peter duels King Miraz – a battle ensues and the reinforcements brought by Aslan save the day.

In the movie, the children are summoned on the very night Prince Caspian flees – thereby crunching time even smaller than before. Trumpkin doesn’t get caught (as far as the viewer can tell) in his attempt to reach the children – rather the meeting appears to be more accidental (unless there are deleted scenes, which could be possible). They ALL go to Aslan’s How and decide that waiting for Aslan isn’t going to work and attempt a raid on Miraz’s castle. Which goes dreadfully wrong. Three courses of action then are worked through: there is the attempted revival of the White Witch (which fails), the use of a duel to delay the inevitable (which succeeds for the most part) and Lucy ends up going alone to find Aslan to find aid (which comes in the form of trees and the river spirit).

3. Tensions between Prince Caspian and Peter and Susan: Prince Caspian, Peter and Susan all have chemistry going on between them. We have the disappointment of Susan in Peter for failing to be mature (at the beginning). We have Prince Caspian and Peter contending over who is to blame for the current sorry state of Narnia. And then there is an added romantic theme between Prince Caspian and Susan which culminates in a kiss at the end of the film. None of this was originally in the novel.

4. Presence of Aslan: In the first film, there is this anticipation of Aslan’s coming that is very hopeful and exciting – which is similar to waiting for Christmas. However, in Prince Caspian, the need for Aslan is much more desperate – although I hardly think Lord Miraz is half the threat the White Witch presented. Despite that, there is a much higher demand for Aslan – which is furthered by his conspicuous absence. Only Lucy glimpses a few times, and for a while, the viewer wonders if they will see Aslan outside of the context of dreams or visions. In fact, in the movie, Aslan is not revealed to anyone (except Lucy) until the second climax of the final battle. Compared to the book, where Aslan although not present at the beginning, appears sooner than later, has much higher agency, the film seems to be saying something very interesting about the relationship between Narnia and Aslan…

About the Differences… So What?

When I was a first time theater viewer (back when I was a late teenager), my literary taste was shocked and displeased by the way that various films took liberalities with what I considered to be untouchable classics (for example, Lord of the Rings). However a course in film and theatre, as well as some basic research on the film making process has given me a more balanced view on the whole process between film and book. In the case of stories such as Lord of the Rings, there may be a negative impact on the story’s original interpretations, however, a few books have survived the filmmaking process to become that much more. Pride and Prejudice as well as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory are brought to mind.

Therefore, before looking at the impact of film-book differences, we should consider Lewis’ books as a whole. His books, being more or less allegorical, have a limited set of signs and interpretations. Which isn’t bad. But, consider the series: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe [importance of sacrifice and salvation], The Horse and His Boy [sovereignty of God], The Magician’s Nephew [creation, beginnings, renewal], The Silver Chair [existance of God and values, obedience], The Last Battle [last days, judgement, heaven]. In these heavy contexts, the two books Prince Caspian and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader seem to have very little spiritual significance. At least, in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, there is this issue of your calling in life and repentance… but within the pages of Prince Caspian, the meanings seem to be either hidden or more complex.

Perhaps it is the fault of the author? Who knows… but the movie, with it’s changes, creates a better, clearer set of spiritual signficances to draw from for the viewer.

1. Prince Caspian: Unlike the book, we have a much more clearer look at his psyche. We see hesitancy, humility, determination and a desire for vengeance. He tells Aslan that he does not think he is ready to be the King of Narnia, which Aslan states is the perfect attitude he wants in the King. This of course brings to the fore a common refrain in the Chronicles series. Aslan tells the same thing to the first king of Narnia in The Magician’s Nephew. The idea of humility creating a strong leader reinforces the Biblical principle of God working through our weakness. In this way, perhaps, Prince Caspian could be a more positive Aragorn type. On the other hand, we do see that Prince Caspian is a strong person as well. He not only is very defensive around Peter – but also… has a desire to see his father’s killer dead. But once again, Prince Caspian’s refusal to kill his Uncle for revenge (even in fair combat) shows the importance of forgiveness and cutting his ties to the label of “telmarine king”.

2. Peter: I always did wonder about him. He was a child, who became a man in a magical country – how WOULD you feel if you returned back to the body of a child? Especially in a war torn country, there’d be this pent-up frustration and a desire to show his quality. Emo!Peter in the film was rather hard for me to take. But it was understandable. After all, he begins angry and frustrated about his lack of agency in his life (as compared to his reign as an adult king in Narnia) – his return to Narnia, I think, then is about him trying to control his life. To reown it as it were. Which explains the whole “High King Peter the Magnficent” introductions. This creates uppity feelings between him and Prince Caspian, understandably – and there is even 2 crossings of swords. During the 2nd altercation, accusations fly between them. Caspian’s accusation “you LEFT Narnia” pinpoints Peter’s source of frustration – his lack of agency to even stop his return to home. At any rate, his desire for personal control spreads outwards – until he and everyone else agrees that there is no time to wait on Aslan and they go ahead with the first foolhardy attack on Miraz’s castle which results in unnecessary deaths. By the end of the film, Peter has learned his lesson to lay everything down in faith at Aslan’s feet – and wait on the Lion’s time. The only thing I thought unbelievable was how we do not see his actual transition so that when he accepts his inability to return to Narnia as a maturation thing. He tells Lucy it’s an adult thing and that she’d understand. I guess that small scene where we see Aslan walking with Susan and Peter was actually just part of a LONG conversation…

3. Susan: Susan was always a hard character to grasp in the books and the films. She is after all, the older sister – but unlike a boy, there is very little for her grasp in the world (if you think about it). Lucy, being tomboyish, enjoyed Narnia… but within Susan, there is this aloofness which is solidified within Prince Caspian. She fails to see Aslan as easily as the others. And in the movies, her interest in Prince Caspian clearly coincides with her shifting of focus onto “this world’s” life. The kiss, then, at the end of the movie, when read in the context of Susan’s movement from Narnian belief to hard-boiled adult worldliness, actions like this aren’t out of character. I always felt in the books that Susan’s absence in The Last Battle was rather abrupt and kind of shocking. As it should be, perhaps – which then solidifies the important lesson about “backsliding” or “losing the faith”. However, Susan then loses significance as a person and the book loses more of its humanity in order to consolidate the allegory. The boy-girl interaction at the beginning of this film, the flirting, the inability to see Aslan, her admission that she was just getting used to England and the kiss – these all contribute to a much more complex character that can become a greater impact later – because we know how she feels and where she is coming from. However… one or two questions plague me… how does she keep her eyeliner so nicely all the time? And why did her hair get darker in the final scene?

4. Changes in Story: I think the added attack on Miraz’s castle was bizarre. But I thought about it… and realized that it was in fact very functional. For one thing, it is the downfall of both Prince Caspian and Peter’s egos. It shows the importance that man proposes but God disposes. That even the best laid plans go astray without the right backing. Also, it recovers the Professor from Miraz’s grip (which went differently in the book)… This sequence also shows the power and cunning of Miraz, the military strategies of Telmarines and adds a time delay factor to the whole story. From a film maker’s perspective, as well, Prince Caspian is a woefully short book – adding something like this increases the length of the film. One might argue that it would have been equally justifiable to put in the whole Aslan in Beruna part (as in the novel) or increase the beginning sequences of the children’s discovery of Cair Paraval. However, the Aslan in Beruna part would have raised questions among parents. After all, in a society that is already struggling to control various substance abuses, having things like Baccheus in a family film would be iffy to market – and would cause alot of misinterpretation among more conservative circles who already struggle with Lewis’ not so secret affinity for Grecian myths. As for the “discovery of Cair Paraval” sequence – the change there is actually quite simple to understand. After all, the film is called “Chronicles of Narnia” – which means that we know it is a continuation of the previous film. Any mystery is then taken away from the discovery – because the viewer already knows where the children are and very few watchers would watch something that is labouring over a various obvious point.

5. Presence of Aslan: The absence of Aslan (compared to the book where he appears more often and sooner) is more understandable if you take into account the point of the movie which I suggested above. A very accessible Aslan would undercut the importance of “waiting” and “faith”. His absence which causes anxiety is therefore part of the lesson which was missing from the book – and serves only to make the plot stronger.

My feelings…

I went into the film with low expectations. Probably it was because I never really was a Prince Caspian book fan. Perhaps because I did not expect it to make any points or state anything of significance. However, the film pleasantly suprised me.

1. Reepicheep: Was a barrel of laughs. He was quite cute and charming – and he and his mouse clan were very believable. The voice for Reepicheep (Eddie Izzard) had all the right nuances that I would expect and I felt he very much stole the show as a Narnian creature – and I hope they get him into The Voyage of the Dawn Treader film as such.

2. Prince Caspian: After getting over the shock of a Mediterranean styled Prince Caspian, I quite enjoyed Ben Barnes’ performance. He had grace, manliness. He was cute and fit. He was older, but he still has a youthful air about him. Because of the “Telmarine” accent and coloring, there is this feeling of alienation between him and EVERYONE else – which is very interesting and shows how anyone can be used by Aslan for the greater good – if they are ready and willing. There is a hesitancy around the whole figure which was great. The end scene were he remains bowing despite Aslan’s command for the Kings and Queens of Narnia to rise – was quite a moe moment.

3. Trumpkin: Another good character with great dialogue pieces which made us giggle.

4. Edmund: With Prince Caspian, Peter and Susan running around in their emo-ness – and while Lucy sits around waiting for Aslan, it seems like Edmund is doing alot. He’s the one who’s got Peter’s back, is the only male to stand up to the White Witch and seems to have his head screwed on straight. Although he had few lines, Skandar Keynes did a great job I think, and delivered all of them quite well.

5. White Witch Scene: This whole scene was great because it reminds us of the old evils we always have to be wary of. It tells us of the danger of turning to anything else besides God when we have decision making issues. Although many would see this as a specific attack against paganism or satanism, I’d read this in a more general light – the idea that waiting for Aslan alone is all that is necessary. Once again – it’s interesting to see how Edmund is the man to step in the gap here.

6. Feelings of Farewell: This was mainly brought on by the last song by Regina Spektor – but at this time of my life, where I too have to say farewell to many things… I understand the pain of saying goodbye to various things. I know i can revisit them, but as Peter said, it’s an adult thing. The underlying message of maturation here reminds me that our lives are a series of changes, and we should accept the necessary changes. And with that, remember that Aslan (or God) is also there beside us, unchanging – and yet, growing with us as we grow in our perception of Him.

In all… out of 5 stars… a 4.

Summer Reading List ‘08

What I’m attempting to read this summer… We’ll see how that goes…

1. “The Potrait of Dorian Grey” (Oscar Wilde)
2. “Poor Folk” (Doestevesky)
3. “The Gun Seller” (Hugh Laurie)
4. “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” (Douglas Adams)
5. reread: “Mike and Psmith” (P.G. Wodehouse)
6. “The Everlasting Man” (G.K. Chesterton)
7. “The Complete Short Stories of Oscar Wilde” (Oscar Wilde)
8. “The Collected Poems of Emily Dickinson” (Emily Dickinson)
9. “Fragile Things” (Neil Gaiman)
10. “The Cry of the Halidon” (Robert Ludlum)
11. “Fausteric” (Terry Pratchett)
12. “Master & Commander” (Patrick O’Brien)
13. “The Blue Fairy Book” (Andrew Lang)
14. “The Lantern Bearers” (Rosemary Sutcliff)
15. “The Lute Players” (Norah Lofts)
16. “The Mothman Prophecies” (John. A. Keel)
17. “My Utmost for His Highest” (Oswald Chambers)
18. “The Purpose Driven Life” (Warren)
19. reread: “Orthodoxy” (Chesterton)
20. reread: “Game of the Kings” (Dunnett)

reread series: LOTR, Chronicles of Narnia

Authority and Issues Thereof

The Theory Toolbox: Critical Concepts for the Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences. Jeffrey Nealon & Susan Searls-Giroux. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2003.

“Once the author’s privilege has been debunked, meaning is then no longer found but rather produced. The question we ask of the text is no longer “what did the author really mean?” but rather “how does this text produced meanings?”… Meaning is always more slippery and multiple than any given author’s intention… It is precisely the “multiplicity of meanings” that, according to Foucault, institutions saw as dangerous and sought to reduce. Conflating “meaning” narrowly with the author was but one mechanism to challenge the proliferation of meanings. We should note further that with the death of the author came the death of the literary critic, who alone could unlock the mysteries of the authorial intention. The opening up of multiple meanings challenged both the sovereignty of the author as well as that of the professional “expert” – another mechanism for managing the proliferation of discourse, for authorizing who can speak to what issues.” (p. 18-19) [bold inserted by me]

About taking critical theory class… I do not totally regret attending it (nor do I regret my marks). But with it, came many struggles with the ideas discussed and proliferated within the class. The professor, Dr. Susan Searles-Giroux herself, taught from her book, as we explored issues of authority, gender, identity and other important themes within basic critical theory for English literature. Some things seemed rather logical to me – for example, deconstructing Disney can never be a bad thing. In fact, questioning ideas promoted in any popular cultural media and texts is the essence of engagement and critical thinking. However, while I admit that the writer and the reader are both human and are therefore fallible, when applying these kinds of theories to the Word of God… The result is disturbing…

I wonder what other effect this can have that can be called good. Before discussing the negativity of theological deconstructionist readings, however, I do wish to look at a couple positive aspects. Within the church (universal) and the church culture, there have been various cultural things promoted that are not necessarily biblical and therefore are questionable and may be put under the lens of deconstruction. For example, the fact that before the 90s, Jesus felt figures in Sunday Schools had light brown (if not blonde) hair, white skin and blue eyes. Things such as cultural myths which arise out of specific necessity or because of people’s desire to control/find stability. Grey areas such as these (if I may call them such) – to drink or not to drink, to smoke or not to smoke, to have white Jesus or not to have white Jesus… while not affecting salvation per se, still can affect church community and outreach strategies. Deconstruction of cultural media such as Max Lucado or Janette Oke, therefore, is arguably allowable. And even cultural constructions such as “WWJD”, “PUSH” and “FROG” are up for critique, parody and questioning.

However, what is disconcerting is the way Foucault and Derrida tend to show up in theological circles. And as much as I admire critical thinking, the effect of deconstruction on interpretation and one’s views about Scriptures is disturbing. Admittedly, men did physically write the Scriptures, and also the “robot” take on Scriptural inspiration seems illogical or odd. Still, if Scriptures becomes questionable because of men and their fallibility (deconstructed or not), one begins to wonder about the power of the message, the Messenger or the faith as a whole. Take away the infallibility of Scripture and the sovereignty of God – and what do we have that is so different from other faiths? Other than the fact that it “works”? Foucault and Derrida, therefore, should be approached carefully then, as a believer – especially in regards to the Word of God. The Bible, as we call it, or the Word of God, after all, is not merely another text to be analyzed and reduced to a set of cultural-specific implications or suggestions. I find that alot of deconstructionist literature concerning theology and the Bible are linked to progressive, radical thinking. For example, acceptance of homosexual relationships or Third-wave feminism. As G.K. Chesterton once said, the first thing a vacuum salesman does to get you to buy his product is to denigrate the old version. To justify one’s desires or impulses, for certain believers, it is much easier to ease the conscience with theories which undercut the authority of the Scriptures.

There is this sense in deconstructionism too – that neither the reader nor the writer has authority. Multiplicity of meaning becomes available then, with that kind of textual approach. However, as I consider this matter deeper, it seems to me like a man who is sawing off the very branch of the tree that he is standing on. Although many find issues with blind faith – does not this kind of thinking seem rather illogical? Perhaps it is just me… At any rate, as I sat in critical theory, growing more cynical by the minute listening to the professor, I began to wonder why I was there listening to her at all. If truly authority is called into question – why am I paying around 400 dollars to listen to someone who doesn’t have the authority to tell me what is right and wrong academically, theologically, socially or anything else? It is indeed a kind of suicide of the brain then – or perhaps just another new piece of propaganda – and somewhere out there, someone is benefiting from this?

Setting aside academia, the theological issues abound then. As deconstructionists, can we as Christians deconstruct deconstructionists? Should we propogate “multiple meanings” or allow the One who has created all meaning to authorize His final answers to life? At this point, I think that perhaps we should reread what I just called the Scriptures: the “WORD” of “GOD”. As such, Christians who are looking to the deconstructionist theories for freedom should be aware – for when they question the Word of God, they aren’t questioning Paul or any other writer of the Scriptures per se, but rather, God Himself.

Poetry: Symbolic Innisfree

Symbolic Innisfree

I will arise and go now, to meet the Trinity -
And a small temple build there, for the Spirit’s fire made.
In Him, my soul exalts, His love pours from within me.
My life at His feet have I laid.

And I shall sense His peace there, peace comes to us below.
We sit still in His quiet, and wait for those dark days.
Here, all else is forgotten, and as the night comes slow,
My quiet soul leaves His haven of praise.

I will arise and go now, for during the nights and days,
I remember Your Haven and the songs of angels’ encore.
When I strive with evil powers, when in troubled ways,
I remember and worry no more.

—

This, if I remember correctly, was written around 8-10 years ago, while I was attending Trinity Baptist Church in Burlington.  It was in response to the famous poem “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” by Yeats. Many people over the ages have gone to various places to find meaning to life. How thankful I am to have found that solution already in the Biblical God!

Krapp’s Last Tape: The Role of Memory [essay]

In Beckett’s stage directions for Krapp’s Last Tape, it is imperative to realize the importance of Krapp’s eyesight. Krapp is described as ‘Very near-sighted (but unspectacled)’, which, considering the play as a quest for the unknowable, gives the man a symbolic handicap with implications similar to that of the Greek seer Tiresias (Beckett 2771). Krapp’s Last Tape recounts the intellectual journey of an old man who is consciously or subconsciously submerging the Vision of his life, thereby encouraging his present state of mental and emotional inability. His subconcious efforts to forget – focusing on women, leaving sentences unfinished, loss of knowledge and spending time thinking on, what would be considered inconsequential details – proivde a foundation for his more conscious efforts. These conscious efforts include the manipulation of his tapes, his repressive self-exhortations, as well as the impact of silence and mutism within the dialogue.

Considering then, his attempts to forget when at the same time he actively pursues rememberance, we can see how Krapp uses various techniques to repress the impact (and the memory) of the Vision. As Sue Wilson in her article, “Versions of the Vision in Samuel Beckett’s Krapp’s Last Tape“, states, ‘We are provided with gestures toward metaphysical revelation but denied access to any positive or determinate content’ (79). After arguing that the relationship between Krapp’s vision and Beckett’s own personal revelation is superficial (76-77), Wilson suggests that time has a negative effect on memory (and thus, on the Vision), and that Krapp’s disillusionment can be seen in his angry response to his own life-changing experience (78). Although Wilson couples Beckett’s idea of absent revelation with Kant’s views on the impossibility of determination, she does not provide varied textual proof of Beckett’s conscious and subconscious denial (79). On the other hand, Arthur K. Oberg’s article “Krapp’s Last Tape and the Proustian Vision” considers the subconscious and conscious ways Krapp represses his memories, while drawing on similarities between Proust and Beckett in relation to ‘Memory, Habit and Time’ (151). Oberg, focusing on Krapp’s ability to manipulate his memories (the tapes), discusses the importance of ‘voluntary and involuntary’ memory, the changing and changeless self, desire adn teh freedom found only in ‘ossified’ rememberances (152-153). Finally, Oberg notes that Krapp’s enlightened moments were the time he possessed what he desired – but that desire is complicated by age, time, shifting meanings, ‘gaps’ and the inability to contextualize ideas (157). However, although Oberg places importance on the role of memory and desire, voluntary or otherwise, the significance of the Vision is not closely considered as a valuable part of the character development. Also, considering the present state of Krapp – a single old man with an addiction to bananas and alcohol – I feel that any freedom he experiences is illusionary only, created by memories of desire, which leave Krapp even more incapable of change.

Looking more closely at Krapp, we can see how he consciously tries to forget when at the same time he is remembering. Firstly, Krapp manipulates his memories physically by switching the tape on and off. Six times within the text, Krapp manipulates the spool and one time, he fast forwards through it. The first two times, Krapp turns it off after considering two women who seemed to have made an impact on his life (Beckett 2773-74); the third time, he fast forwards over the Vision.
          “[Krapp curses, switches off, winds tape forward, switches on again]
           -unshatterable association until my dissolution of storm and night with
           the light of the understanding and the fire -[Krapp curses louder,
            switches off, winds tape forward, switches on again]…” (2775)
However, the most noteworthy operation is his fixation on the punting episode, in which we hear the most important recollection, ‘But under us all moved, and moved us, gently, up and down, and from side to side’, three times (2775-76). Considering the ‘mechanization of memory’, Oberg suggests that ‘by making involuntary memory voluntary – commits Krapp to the destruction of moments that refuse reduction to human control’ (152). However, I feel that not only does Krapp decrease the power of his memories by repetitively listening to them; but he too reduces his ability to change the path of his life. Krapp also makes vocal exhortations to himself, in order to suppress himself. For example, he says, ‘Last fancies. [Vehemently.] Keep’em under!’ (2776). Entwined with the Vision seems to be the possibility of healing as engendered by singing; however, Krapp rejects that when he states, ‘Shall I sing when I am her age? No. Did I ever sing? No.’ (2776). Lastly, Krapp’s conscious efforts to subdue the Vision can be seen in the importance of mutism within the play. Pauses and silences seem to fill up a huge space within the play, giving it a longer running time (as a production) then the text at first glance shows. At the end, as Krapp listens for the third and last time to the punt episode, Beckett’s directions state, ‘[Pause. Krapp's lips move. No sound]‘ (2776), which places further ambiguity on meaning by obscuring what even the character has to say. In conclusion, Beckett’s entire play fails to give us any concrete Vision or even meaning, but rather, considering Wilson’s theory that ‘the metaphysical object’, the content of Krapp’s vision, must be located only in ‘thought’ and his ‘own concepts’, the reader is left with only memories to interpret Krapp and his experiences (79).

While Krapp is using mechanical and self-conscious ways to forget what he has remembered, he is also participating in a subcionscious act when he fails to focus on the right things and remembers only what had been deemed as insignificant. Firstly, Krapp dwells on various women within his monologues, some are mentioned in passing, like the ‘girl in a shabby green coat, on a railway-station platform’ or the ‘dark youn beauty’ with ethe chyrsolite eyes (Beckett 2773-74). Eyes play a large part within Krapp’s Last Tape, especially in reference towomen; it seems to be a case of knowing, not knowing and the inability to understand. To illustrate, the most important memory for him in his later years seems to be the lady in the punt:
         ‘I asked her to look at me and after a few moments – [Pause.] -
         After a few moments she did, but the eyes were just slits, because
         of the glare. I bent over her to get them in the shadow and they opened.
         [Pause. Low.] Let me in.’ (2775)
While linking the eyes to a state of knowledge, it is important to note that at the end, any resolution found through the song ‘Now the Day is Over’, is subverted by the continuation of his memories of the punting episode which further induce a state of mental passivit (2776). Women, then, not only symbolize desire and fulfillment, but also create the stasis that krapp is caught in. Secondly, Krapp complicates the issue further through his inability to complete his train of thought. This can be seen when he first starts to sing and ends up in a fit of coughing (2773-74). Another example is toward the end when he finishes singing, Krapp remembers a time when he fell asleep in church, and then considers, ‘Sometimes wondered in the night if a last effort mightn’t -’ although one wonders what the ‘effort’ was and what it could have done (2776). These gaps in sentences create an ambiguity as to what is being actually remembered or said. As Ober suggested, ‘memorable moments slip’, while ‘words lose their meaning’ (156). Another example of Krapp’s more subconscious subversion is the loss of knowledge in the play. As he is reading his ledger, he has a hard time remembering anything in the book.
         ‘Memorable… what? [He peers closer.] Equinox, memorable equinox.
         [He raises his head, stares blankly front. Puzzled.] Memorable equinox?
         … [Pause. He shrugs his shoulder, peers again at ledger, reads.]‘ (Beckett 2772)
Later on, he forgets what viduity means and has to look it up in a dictionary (2774). The breakdown of language and memory, therefore, could, as Wilson suggests, symbolize the fact that ‘Krapp’s vision of the eternal… has decayed with time’ (77). As has been stated previously, memories therefore do not only play as reminders of goals lost, which could bring healing, but these recollections play a two-fold part by also distracting Krapp from making any positive changes in his life. Although the ‘memorable equinox’ is describeda s ‘when suddenly I saw the whole thing’ – a moment of enlightenment – the elder Krapp focuses instead on other moments, such as the dog, the black ball and the death of his mother (Beckett 2774). After listening to the punt episode for the second time, he shuts it off quickly and begins a new set of recollections, in which he talks about items like ‘Fanny’ the ‘bony old ghost of a whore’ and his opus magnum, the ’seventeen copies sold’ (2776). Even though it could be argued that his talking was therapeutic and led to the hope of revival with teh song ‘Now the Day is Over’, sadly, any hopes for revival, are dashed when he reverts to his old memories of lost loves (2776).

In conclusion, Krapp begins the play blind and bound. Blind, because he cannot see in – not only the physical sense – but also in the inability to understand the meaning of relationships and experiences. Bound, because not only is his world confined to the small physical space of his room, but also set in a mental stasis through the proliferation of memories which encourage his current state of passivity. The role of Memory then not only gives glimpses of previous (and potentially future) enlightenment but also aid Krapp to avoid the Vision on conscious and subconscious levels. When the curtain falls, Krapp is the same Krapp as when the curtain rose: motionless and silent (2776).

Bibliography:

Beckett, Samuel. ‘Krapp’s Last Tape.’ The Longman Anthology of British Literature. 2nd Ed. Vol. 2C. Ed. David Damrosch. New York: Addison-Wesley Educational Publishers, 2003.

Oberg, Arthur K. ‘Krapp’s Last Tape and the Proustian Vision.’ Theatre Workbook 1: Samuel Beckett, Krapp’s Last Tape. Ed. James Knowlson. London: Brutus Books, 1980.

Wilson, Su. ‘Versions of the Vision in Krapp’s Last Tape.’ English Language Notes. 40, (2003): (76-82). 

Why Read? Why Write?

Apparently there’s been a small furor on the professorial chatline at my university about the importance of Science vs. the importance of the Humanities. I think that this isn’t exclusive just to my spot in Academia, but rather, perhaps, is a well contested subject everywhere. What leads me to this thinking is a tragic story I heard of a young man in Japan being jilted because he decided to pursue English Literature.

Of course, it’s hard to address these subjects – whether air is more important than water, whether modes of communication are more important than the communication themselves… It’s really hard to stay unbiased on this matter. However, it makes me sad to know that these lines have to be drawn between the two schools of thought (as it were).

And yet again, I find myself defending my B.A., as people once again question the practicality of the whole thing – the university life in general to the actual curriculae.

So then: why read? why write? why English?

Why English, indeed. Where to start? I guess one could say, the fundamental importance of English in education – is not only the ability to read and write – but to read and write WELL. On top of that, there is the importance of critical thinking and reading, modes of persuasion and the ability to manipulate all sorts of texts for social critique. Although science is the one to bring us the steam engine and computers, it is the humanities which gave us the vision and which became the engine of thought to allow the populace to enjoy the technology.

After all, when discussing “humanities”, I not only refer to English, but I also stress the importance of theology and social sciences, and last but not least, history. For in all of these disciplines, important world views come into play which not only affect political figures, buisness and the nation, but also society as a whole.

For example, from Martin Luther and the Reformation came the formation of various Reformation thought in Northern Europe – which caused, not necessarily a renaissance in Art, but a renewed interest in Sciences and Technology as well. Certain modes of thought suppress, certain modes of thoughts progress. All of this, I think, stems from that part of Academia which looks to the impossible, the imaginary and forces it into existence. While the Scientific mind arguably can only theorize, test and prove, the Humanities part of us dreams for something and sometimes is able to make it happen.

That being said, there is of course the dangerous of Humanities, from a Christian perspective. For theology is not merely spawned from it – but it also is the fountainhead of other worldviews that might be damaging to the world and society in general. Foucault, Barthe, Kant, Nietzsche et. al. also fall under this category of free thinking. While ‘freeing the individual’ from previous, “archaic”, “restricting” thought, it is from the engines of modern and post-modern thought do we get:

Extremist modern/post-modern thought – relativism, syncretism etc – new lifestyles – new laws to justify and allow such lifestyles -> commercialism and politics conform to reap the benefits of such lifestyles.

One could take for example the homosexual lifestyle and see how things now are being marketed for that specific group. How clothing and culture is changing to accomodate the new lifestyle… And while, I agree that all people groups must be treated with respect, I can only but question how people who place all their money in the Sciences cannot see the link between the so-called “impractical” culture studies course and how our society is changing.

People, let’s wake up and smell the coffee – stop the shopping and the constant influx of funds to Commerce and Science – let’s get aware – let’s think – let’s take a look around us and see that power doesn’t just lie in technology and the gun – but in the minds and hearts of people. It is those to teach who have the power to change the world – because it is from the mind and culture that everything flows – and it is the mind and culture which Humanities touches upon.

Poetry: Redeemed

Redeemed

I am the Bride, who walks in hope,
Looking to the Lord of Love;
But on my way, my eyes are caught.
Within, a battle, not yet fought,
Is lost, and drags me from above.
Adulterous and wretched, I grope.

I am the one who put Him on the Cross.
The scoffer who deserves the pain.
My love of me has brought no gain -
I am the wretch whose life is merely dross.

I am the Dirt that lies upon,
And in, the grave at which I kneel.
Yes, with my shovel, I have mined
A six foot hole, that death divined
For cheated lives that none can heal -
Yet by His Love, my Lord has won.

I am submission, now upraised,
For even death can be undone.
Although death is what I deserve,
He crucified Himself to serve.
My Self must learn to love the Son -
To sing to Him, “Your name be praised!”

I am the one who put Him on the Cross,
But still He loved me as His bride.
In love of Him, in Him I died -
I live for Him, all else in life is loss.

-

This poem was written as a challenge given to me by a friend. After giving me 10 words, I had to write a poem with as much of them in it as I could. I know for sure that the words “grave, dirt, adulterous, love” were some of those words – I can’t really remember the rest of the list. At any rate, I really enjoyed writing this – it smacks of hymn, somehow, (lol), but some beautiful thoughts came out, I think.

Beowulf: A Translation

Finding the sumptuous treasure
standing exposed, the old Twilight Foe
trumpeted forth, seeking the burying-places.
The naked, hostile Dragon fled by night,
attacking with fire; and the Earth-dweller
was exceedingly afraid of him. He shall go seeking
treasure in the earth; in that place, he shall watch,
many-wintered, the heathen gold. Nay, for him there will be no success.
So the spoiler of the community, for three hundred winters,
possessed some storehouses in the earth,
increased in his cunning. Until, One aroused him -
a Man of High-Spirits; the King bore
a chalice, ornamented with gold, and entreated a peace-pledge
which he desired. The treasure was explored,
the booty was plundered, boons were given
to the impoverished men. The King observed
the ancient work which he began to discern in the future.
And the Worm, having awoken, caused new strife.
Then, sniffing above the stone, the Stout-Hearted One discovered
the footprint of the Fiend; he also stepped forward
with secret craft, neared the Dragon.
As such, not fated to die, he easily overcame
misfortune and persecution, because the Lord-Wielder
preserves with grace!

- Beowulf (lines 2270b - 2294b)

Discussion of Translation

For the most part, the translation of Beowulf’s The Dragon, lines 2270b 2294b, was accomplished easily enough with the help of an online dictionary and the grammar book. However, specific choices for the stylistic translation deserved much thought, especially considering my audience: beginners, such as young teens, who had never attempted readings of older English texts before. Considering the fact that Beowulf is a story for the laymen of Anglo-Saxon England, keeping the lyrical quality while making it understandable for the modern reader is the tension which this translator attempted to maintain.
For example, the naming of the dragon had utmost importance when translating, because it is the focus of the piece. The word uhtsceaða”, for example, directly translated as “twilight foe” (l.2271). The term was used, because the image of twilight and darkness adds an element of mystery, fear and dread. “Twilight” also conjures ideas of the eventuality of destruction. Although, some modern readers wouldn’t recognize “foe” right away, the word ties the piece back to an older time, reminding the audience that this text has ties with an ancient culture. “ðeodsceaða” also received similar treatment, resulting in “spoiler of the community” (l. 2289). On the other hand, words like “Worm”, “Dragon” and “Fiend” were most often used because that is what the dragon was to the original author(s) – a creature of evil (l. 2287-2291). Most modern readers, especially those familiar with Western tradition, would understand the usage of those words in connection to the monster.
Mankind on the other hand had a variety of terms. Although “foldebuend” puzzled me, after taking the word apart, I realized that it literally means “earth-dweller” (l.2274). I thought “earth-dweller” sounded really lyrical, so I kept it, while capitalizing it, and so portraying it as a proper noun. The phrase “mon on mode” was particularly difficult to translate because although ‘mon’ is easily paired with ‘man’, the preposition ‘on’ carries a large variety of meaning – which changes the sentence radically, considering the third word, ‘mode’ (l. 2282). I chose “Man of High-Spirits”, just because it sounds more epic to the modern reader, but it could have easily been translated “until he aroused one man of high-spirits” or “until One aroused him, a brave man” (l. 2281-2282). Later on in the poem, the intruder is called “stearcheort”, which I decided to translate as “stout-hearted” (l.2279), because anything older, such as “stark heart” suggested in C.W. Eliot’s online version, might confuse the modern reader (Mcmaster Humanities).
Other issues surrounded the actual building of the sentences. Frequently, I felt like I was given pieces of a puzzle and had to find which words matched with each other. Sentences such as “þa se wyrm onwoc, wroht wæs geniwad “, at best were difficult to translate into easy reading without changing the sentence structure (l. 2283). Eventually, I wrote “And the Worm, having awoken, caused new strife”, which creates a stronger cause-effect scenario than “And the worm awoke, new strife happened”. On the other hand, more complex parts, such as “Frea sceawode fira fyrngeweorc forman siðe” could be translated many ways. You could read it as “The King observed the ancient work begun in the late past”, but also “The King observed the first ancient work which he began to discern in the future”. Both however hold the idea that the King of the country was forseeing problems surrounding the issue of the Dragon – which is fulfilled by the next sentence (l. 2281-2283).
In conclusion, while many of the parts were obvious as to their meaning, important details, such as adjectives and prepositions demanded more time and attention because of the open-ended meanings, or, for example, the vague characteristics of many adjectives’ declensions. It was a rewarding experience, however, mostly in part due to the deepened awareness of the richness of the Old English language, which I gained as I translated. I also realized that despite the dubious consistency of Modern English, our language is ultimately a language of change, and therefore, with thought can attempt at the seemingly impossible and in doing so, change the self and culture.

Poetry: True North, Strong and FREE

True North Strong and FREE

Frailty, thy name is that WORD.

Freedom will never be found -

nailed by gold plated spikes.

Buried, our nation-coffin

and corpses, wrapped in normativity,

lay 6 ft under

our home and native land.

-

This is for Professor Daniel Coleman, revered Canadian Literature prof at McMaster University. Against all odds, he gave me a respect for our nation’s literature – and a more interesting view of what we can create – what our potential is in this land of variable futures.

Krapp’s Last Tape – Samuel Beckett

- gooseberries, she said. I said again I thought it was hopeless and no good going on and she agreed, without opening her eyes. [Pause.] I asked her to look at me and after a few moments – [Pause.] – after a few moments she did, but the eyes just slits, because of the glare. I bent over her to get them in the shadow and they opened. [Pause. Low.] Let me in. [Pause.] We drifted in among the flags and stuck. The way they went down, sighing before the stem! [Pause.] I lay down across her with my face in her breasts and my hand on her. We lay there without moving. But under us all moved, and moved us, gently, up and down, and from side to side.

[Pause. Krapp's lips move. No sound.]

Past midnight. Never knew such silence. The earth might be uninhabited.

[Pause.]

Here I end this real. Box – [Pause.] – three, spool – [Pause.] – five. [Pause.] Perhaps my best years are gone. When there was a chance of happiness. But I wouldn’t want them back. now with the fire in me now. No, I wouldn’t want them back.

[Krapp motionless staring before him. The tape runs on in silence.]