AtDtDA(34): Born of Light

[David Payne]

On Sat, 21 Jun 2008 (13:17:04 -0500), Dave Monroe (against.the.dave at gmail.com) wrote:
> "'Born of light,' said Cyprian, as if about to understand
> something." (AtD, Pt. IV, p. 953)

Let me suggest a different read of the phrase:

"Behold! human beings living in an underground den, which has a mouth open towards the light and reaching all along the den; here they have been from their childhood, and have their legs and necks chained so that they cannot move, and can only see before them, being prevented by the chains from turning round their heads. Above and behind them a fire is blazing at a distance, and between the fire and the prisoners there is a raised way; and you will see, if you look, a low wall built along the way, like the screen which marionette players have in front of them, over which they show the puppets." -- Plato (http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~wldciv/world_civ_reader/world_civ_reader_1/plato.html)

Think about the image of shadows, in reverse, burnt onto walls after a nuclear strike.

Cf. M&D, p. 687: "Their task has shifted, from Direct Traverse upon the Line to Pen-and-Paper Representation of it, in the sober Day-Light of Philadelphia, strain’d thro’ twelve-by-twelve Sash-work, as in the spectreless Light of the Candles in their Rooms, suffering but the Shadows of Dixon at the Drafting Table, and Mason, seconding now, reading from Entries in the Field-Book, as Dixon once minded the Clock for him."

Note that "spectreless" would be without Rebekah. Why would a light be "spectreless"? Because specters don't cast shadows? Because specters don't stand in the harsh light of rationalism?

And the phrase "minded the Clock for him" brings to mind a phrase I love from AtD (930): "...and though their kiss went on for what could have been hours, so little did it have to do with clock time, she was already miles away down those rails before their lips even touched."





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