I guess I see this as a story of striving very hard for something - some perceived wonderful reward. Like working all one's life and expecting some great satisfaction at the end of all that hard work. Only to find the reward to be fleeting and unfulfilling. And perhaps instead of striving for some nebulous future satisfaction, we should find satisfaction in the here and now.
That's how I read it. But then again, my head is pretty much usually in that space, so maybe I interpret everything that way 😉.
Striving, endurance, and reaching a destination. One of them wants to stay, the other must leave. There's a bit of the flavor of the movie Lost Horizon.
There's a specific lens through which I tend to read allegories about trying to get somewhere. I have a fixation with ideas about social and technological progress, and think of Kafka's observation along the lines of
*Believing in progress is not the same thing as believing that's what's happening*
There are Tower of Babel shades here. But it's a success! Or is it..?
The bit I'm really looking at - the "David Lynch plot strangler", so to speak - is this:
"They came to the bottom of the ladder."
Thanks as ever for sharing your illuminating, shadowy tales.
Love this, Victor. Definitely a departure in style for you. I could feel the pain and loss of faith in the seemingly endless climb. Most interesting is the character's lament at having experienced perfection and realizing that there was nothing left to strive for.
"... but once you have wrapped your pain in perfection, there’s nothing left to attain ... and then he’ll decide: if he wants to stay, descend rung by rung, or simply step from the edge and take flight." Wow, Victor. Beautiful. Be careful what you wish for.... right?
I guess I see this as a story of striving very hard for something - some perceived wonderful reward. Like working all one's life and expecting some great satisfaction at the end of all that hard work. Only to find the reward to be fleeting and unfulfilling. And perhaps instead of striving for some nebulous future satisfaction, we should find satisfaction in the here and now.
That's how I read it. But then again, my head is pretty much usually in that space, so maybe I interpret everything that way 😉.
Regardless, lovely story, Victor.
A fine allegory for refugees and immigration.
Striving, endurance, and reaching a destination. One of them wants to stay, the other must leave. There's a bit of the flavor of the movie Lost Horizon.
Qué interesante Victor. Para mí, es como cuando emprendo algo sin un objetivo concreto y me lanzo únicamente con la meta.
There's a specific lens through which I tend to read allegories about trying to get somewhere. I have a fixation with ideas about social and technological progress, and think of Kafka's observation along the lines of
*Believing in progress is not the same thing as believing that's what's happening*
There are Tower of Babel shades here. But it's a success! Or is it..?
The bit I'm really looking at - the "David Lynch plot strangler", so to speak - is this:
"They came to the bottom of the ladder."
Thanks as ever for sharing your illuminating, shadowy tales.
Love this, Victor. Definitely a departure in style for you. I could feel the pain and loss of faith in the seemingly endless climb. Most interesting is the character's lament at having experienced perfection and realizing that there was nothing left to strive for.
"... but once you have wrapped your pain in perfection, there’s nothing left to attain ... and then he’ll decide: if he wants to stay, descend rung by rung, or simply step from the edge and take flight." Wow, Victor. Beautiful. Be careful what you wish for.... right?
They've climbed the ladder to Heaven, only to discover that perhaps, Heaven is on Earth. - Whatever the meaning, I like it, Victor.