Monday, November 12, 2007

Atlas

"quell' ombre orando, andavan sotto 'l pondo,
simile a quel che talvota si sogna"

The backpack is too heavy for him.

Bent under its weight, he keeps his eyes fixed on the road, watches the wheels of the cars whiz past. Cars he cannot see, but imagines stopping for him.

He makes no sign, does not ask for a lift. He is a hitchhiker stranded in his rejection of himself.

Why doesn't he put the backpack down?

Because he won't be able to take it up again.

Why doesn't he abandon it then?

Because it is all he has.

He is going nowhere.

He has nowhere to go.

9 comments:

AakASH!!! said...

:) What will Madam Ayn Rand be thinking right now?

LostLittleGirl said...

And why doesn't he go home? ...We all revel in complications, but for a reason

km said...

Heavy, man, very heavy.

Just curious - which translation are you reading?

Falstaff said...

aakash!!!: Aarghh! No, no, this has nothing to do with her.

lostlittlegirl: You're assuming he has one.

km: Well, you know, he ain't my brother.

Assume you mean the Comedy. Am reading the Jean and Robert Hollander translation

Hollander's notes are a little overkill, but good to have anyway, and I like the translation. That is, I compared their translation of the Inferno to a bunch of others and found I liked it the best (though there's a small part of me that remains loyal to Longfellow). Haven't actually read any other translations of the Purgatorio.

LostLittleGirl said...

Home is what leaves you, unless you leave it first. But everyone has one.

Anonymous said...

Backpack being symbolism for "dissertation" I take it?

Bleak, Falsie, bleak!

n!

btw,why haven't you seen Wristcutters yet? I thought that was a movie they made solely on the results of a focus group they did with you.

Anonymous said...

How sad. Perfect for the dreary weather we're having.
Kamini

AakASH!!! said...

Well yes, this has not, but Atlas has to. Ms Rand was there when he shrugged, or so she'd like us to believe.

Adorable Pancreas said...

Bocelli? 'Sogno' did it for me.

Just a wild guess.