Belloc, 1936

"It is worth noting, by the way, that the most sentimental people, who are loudest against the right to wage a just war, or execute a criminal, are just the people who are most likely to be in favor of 'putting incurables out of their pain', which the commandment against murder emphatically forbids."

Hilaire Belloc, 1936
"Characters of the Reformation"

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The Only Story that Matters

While watching an episode tonight of A&E’s adaptations of Forester’s “Horatio Hornblower”, I took note of a particular character: a government official, introduced to us as pompous, blustery, and accustomed to getting his own way.

Eventually, through lack of crew, this government official is forced to work. He is assigned to be the cook’s mate. To make a long story short, our vain and coddled official learns to appreciate the value of hard work and service to his comrades, and emerges from the adventure a much more likable man.

My first reaction to this story was that is was uninspired. Of course the grouchy old fellow would be converted by those unimpeachable spiritual medicines: hard work and service. An old story, told a million times, and tiresomely predictable.

My first reaction was wrong.

What could the alternative have been? Did I really prefer a story I which the corrupt are incorrigible? The basic plot – the story of a flawed man who is brought bye events to his senses, and then develops character and virtue – must be the story of every one of our lives, inasmuch as our lives can be considered successful. For we all start out just like that man – flawed, sinful, selfish – and by the end we must be either reformed heroes, or else we must remain as unrepentant villains forever.

Now literary criticism still has a place. Any conversion of characters ought to still be believable in great, mature stories. But the story itself, of the seemingly unsalvageable selfish character turning his ways around, is not only a perfectly legitimate story, it is in the end the only truly great story, the only story that really matters.

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Daily Greek Lesson

The headline of this article caught my eye: "Dutch Gym to Introduce 'Naked Sunday'"

Apparently it will be a day when the self-titled "naturists" can exercise au naturel. The headline caught my eye because of the juxtaposition of the words "gym" and "naked". Those out there who know any Greek will recognize that the root word of gymnasium is the Greek word for "naked", γυμνός (gymnos). The Greeks -- the first to build gymnasia -- exercised and competed in athletics in the nude.

Not that I agree with this gym's policy, but if you know any Greek, it is a bit redundant to say that there are people who are gymnos at a gymnasium.

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Forget the Bombs. What About Decency?

...is all I keep thinking about this. Sure, prosecute them on hoax charges if you like. But aren't there some sort of public decency laws that would apply to the friendly, courteous gesture the character is demonstrating?

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