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Chapter 4 - part 7

PostPosted: April 27th, 2009, 7:08 pm
by Kanakaberaka

Counting anachronisms

PostPosted: April 29th, 2009, 5:42 am
by Kanakaberaka
Before I go on to the next chapter I want to note something about the sub-chapters of Chapter 4. It's title is of course The Liquidation of Anachronisms, and it is obvious that "liquidation" refers to the destruction or killing of these anachronisms. It just occured to me that all seven of these sub-chapters refer to the liquidation of a unique anachronism which I have listed here :

1 - The Dimble's house, a material loss which Mrs. Dimble takes in stride.

2 - William Hingest, who is murdered for snubbing the N.I.C.E.

3 - Rev. Straik's Christian Faith, which has given way to mistakenly worshiping "progress" as an engine of God's providence.

4 - Mark's hope of leaving the N.I.C.E. Even though this sub-chapter appears to simply repeat the news of Hingest's death, it is in fact a veiled warning from Wither about what awaits those who reject the N.I.C.E.

5 - Jane's "...bright narrow little life" has been destroyed with the revelation that her latest vision is in fact a horrible reality.

6 - Cure Hardy. But more than the village itself is Mark's inability to see the reality before him rather than the statistics which he has been taught to take seriously.

7 - The scholarly sanctuary of Bracton College which has been shattered along with the historic common room windows.

Re: Chapter 4 - part 7

PostPosted: December 8th, 2009, 11:42 pm
by jo
Hingest is an interesting character .. the 'proud old atheist' (I am quoting from memory as I've not yet put my book back together) who nonetheless is more able to see through the NICE than, for instance, Straik.. an intreresting point about how merely professing religious faith is not enough to make one truly devout.

I recall two things from the section about Cure Hardy: first, that Mark has no appreciation for natural beauty (as was noted previously) and secondly that there was a point at which he suddenly realised that his companion was a total bore.. a thought that he did not, at that time, follow to its natural conclusion.

Hingest's "faith"

PostPosted: December 9th, 2009, 6:05 am
by Kanakaberaka