Welcome to my blog, consisting of what I would like to call clear, concise and detailed insight into the book the Origin of Species by Nino Ricci. There will be a few journals on subjects that I found the most important or interesting in the book, and you will also be able to read about my thoughts on the book and hopefully gain a greater knowledge of it. Later on there will be some postings that are slightly more formal (explication & apologia) however they will still be centered around my thoughts. Through my in-depth analyses, I hope to enlighten the reader about this truly incredible piece of modern Canadian literature.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Links List
1. Nino Ricci’s official website. (http://www.ninoricci.com)
-Includes information about the awards he has won
-Biographical information
-Information about his other works
2. The CBC news article about Nino Ricci winning the Governor General’s Literary Award. (http://www.cbc.ca/arts/books/story/2008/11/18/gg-literary-awards.html)
3. A BBC article about the historical figure Charles Darwin. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/darwin_charles.shtml
4. The official site of the Galapagos Conservation Trust.(the Galapagos is an integral setting and takes up almost 200 pages of the book without a break) (http://www.gct.org/intro.html)
-The site includes:
-Geographical information
-Plant life and animal life
-Information about the historic visit paid by Charles Darwin
5. A review of the book from More Magazine. (http://www.more.ca/attitude/arts-and-culture/nino-ricci-s-origin-of-species/a/1919)
6. A secondary biographical resource for Nino Ricci, presented by the Canadian Encyclopedia. (http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0010866)
7. A transcript of an interview with Nino Ricci. (http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/canadian_literature/30045)
-(another interview, in video form: http://www.metacafe.com/watch/2246750/interview_with_nino_ricci_governor_general_award_winning_autho
8. The official website of the Governor’s General Award (http://www.canadacouncil.ca/writing/)
-the award Nino Ricci’s book the Origin of Species received
9. The city of Montreal is the main city in the novel, in which Alex lives. Here is the official website (http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/portal/page?_pageid=5977,40491560&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL)
10. An article about Canadian Literature and some information about it’s main components. (http://www.artandpopularculture.com/Canadian_literature)
-Includes information about the awards he has won
-Biographical information
-Information about his other works
2. The CBC news article about Nino Ricci winning the Governor General’s Literary Award. (http://www.cbc.ca/arts/books/story/2008/11/18/gg-literary-awards.html)
3. A BBC article about the historical figure Charles Darwin. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/darwin_charles.shtml
4. The official site of the Galapagos Conservation Trust.(the Galapagos is an integral setting and takes up almost 200 pages of the book without a break) (http://www.gct.org/intro.html)
-The site includes:
-Geographical information
-Plant life and animal life
-Information about the historic visit paid by Charles Darwin
5. A review of the book from More Magazine. (http://www.more.ca/attitude/arts-and-culture/nino-ricci-s-origin-of-species/a/1919)
6. A secondary biographical resource for Nino Ricci, presented by the Canadian Encyclopedia. (http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0010866)
7. A transcript of an interview with Nino Ricci. (http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/canadian_literature/30045)
-(another interview, in video form: http://www.metacafe.com/watch/2246750/interview_with_nino_ricci_governor_general_award_winning_autho
8. The official website of the Governor’s General Award (http://www.canadacouncil.ca/writing/)
-the award Nino Ricci’s book the Origin of Species received
9. The city of Montreal is the main city in the novel, in which Alex lives. Here is the official website (http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/portal/page?_pageid=5977,40491560&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL)
10. An article about Canadian Literature and some information about it’s main components. (http://www.artandpopularculture.com/Canadian_literature)
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Journal #4 (The Last Line)
“Outside, he knew, the city still lay stretched, just an instant’s remove from the wildness through space at untenable speeds. He kissed Esther’s hand, then slipped quietly through the door and into his life.” (472). This is the last paragraph in the Origin of Species. When I was nearing the end of the book, I was beginning to struggle through it. Until I read the last few lines. Unlike a lot of books, the last paragraph in this one was clarifying and helpful in understanding the concept of the book in its entirety. When I read the last line of the book “slipped quietly through the door and into his life.” (472) I instantly understood the book more than I did even a mere few pages ago. What this line, and this paragraph did for me was help me realize the use of Esther’s character in the story of Alex’s life.
I began to think of the possibilities of Esther’s character in relation to Alex’s life. I came up with a couple options.
1. Esther is a physical manifestation of Alex’s conscience in the difficult time of his life.
2. Esther is Alex’s guardian angel.
1.Looking at the first option, I believe that Esther and Alex have a very deep connection. I realized this when I read the last paragraph. Essentially what happened is Alex was freed. He was let free of his conscience with Esther’s passing. No longer would he worry about what other people thought of him, or what his life was like, just the fact that he is who he is, and he is okay with that now. Without Esther’s character Alex never would have realized this in himself, he never would have gone to live with his son in the end, and he would live the same unhappy life, day after day. Esther helped him realize himself, what he truly wanted, and in the end – set him free.
2.Esther protected Alex. Not from harm of others, or terrible life threatening misdoings but she protected him from himself, from his thoughts of his life, and how it was going. Was it normal? Was it ok to live like this? Esther protected him from thinking that it was not ok to live his life. In the end, it was because of Esther that Alex moved on from his insecurities, and pursued his son and the life he truly wanted.
It’s crazy how much that one line clarified an entire part of the book for me, an essential part of the book. Usually the ending of books is a nice, simple conclusion to the story, but this one really gave me something to think about (what I mentioned above), and it seriously contributed to the story’s integrity.
I began to think of the possibilities of Esther’s character in relation to Alex’s life. I came up with a couple options.
1. Esther is a physical manifestation of Alex’s conscience in the difficult time of his life.
2. Esther is Alex’s guardian angel.
1.Looking at the first option, I believe that Esther and Alex have a very deep connection. I realized this when I read the last paragraph. Essentially what happened is Alex was freed. He was let free of his conscience with Esther’s passing. No longer would he worry about what other people thought of him, or what his life was like, just the fact that he is who he is, and he is okay with that now. Without Esther’s character Alex never would have realized this in himself, he never would have gone to live with his son in the end, and he would live the same unhappy life, day after day. Esther helped him realize himself, what he truly wanted, and in the end – set him free.
2.Esther protected Alex. Not from harm of others, or terrible life threatening misdoings but she protected him from himself, from his thoughts of his life, and how it was going. Was it normal? Was it ok to live like this? Esther protected him from thinking that it was not ok to live his life. In the end, it was because of Esther that Alex moved on from his insecurities, and pursued his son and the life he truly wanted.
It’s crazy how much that one line clarified an entire part of the book for me, an essential part of the book. Usually the ending of books is a nice, simple conclusion to the story, but this one really gave me something to think about (what I mentioned above), and it seriously contributed to the story’s integrity.
Journal #3 (God WILL exist?)
When I read this quote (below) I was captivated by it. So there was no way I could not do an entry solely about it. So this entry is about the following quote:
“Note: The end point of evolution, if there was one, would be the perfect creature: contradictory impulses resolved, no thoughts, no needs, no rage; able to see through rocks; to survive without eating; to change things by force of will. To live forever. It would be exactly what it had displaced. It would be God.”
I found this quote very interesting, because when I read it I thought, yes it is inevitable that the end point of evolution will resemble its creator. That every time we think of God, every fact, every truth, every faith that is held so dearly and sacred will one day become the merest superstition.
It occurred to me, that it is the inevitability of the end that ultimately prevents us from reaching it, whether we are talking about a race of people, or just a single human being. The means that will prevent anyone from reaching the end is fear; fear of change, or fear of actually becoming a better person.
This idea is represented in the end of the book, however in a lesser format, Alex will not be gaining godly powers, but in proportion he will be reaching the “God” within himself. He comes to this realization that everything is actually ok in the very end of the book.
It’s in this regard that Alex ties into this realization of mine. Throughout the book, Alex is struggling to reach his full capacity. Perhaps he is scared to reach his full potential, to achieve what the world knows he can accomplish. Which for Alex would be becoming a father (a good one) and doing what he loves and making a difference (teaching). Alex’s evolution, although on an exponentially smaller scale (than the one I quoted), is comparative to that of the example found within the quote. Alex does have a full capacity of his existence; he has reached maybe a quarter of it. Alex is afraid of what he may decide to do if/when he does reach his full potential – or the end of his evolutionary scale, because he is so comfortable where he is in life. Perhaps he realizes this in the end and that is what we see in the end of the book – Alex reaching his full potential, at the end of his evolutionary scale. It took him forever to reach this point, but it was worth it, because what he learned along the way is now invaluable to him. He learned that it’s ok to be himself, that there are always going to be bumps, or in his case mountains along the way. In the end though, things will be ok, but only if you want them to be. And that, is what Alex realized, and that is what set him free.
“Note: The end point of evolution, if there was one, would be the perfect creature: contradictory impulses resolved, no thoughts, no needs, no rage; able to see through rocks; to survive without eating; to change things by force of will. To live forever. It would be exactly what it had displaced. It would be God.”
I found this quote very interesting, because when I read it I thought, yes it is inevitable that the end point of evolution will resemble its creator. That every time we think of God, every fact, every truth, every faith that is held so dearly and sacred will one day become the merest superstition.
It occurred to me, that it is the inevitability of the end that ultimately prevents us from reaching it, whether we are talking about a race of people, or just a single human being. The means that will prevent anyone from reaching the end is fear; fear of change, or fear of actually becoming a better person.
This idea is represented in the end of the book, however in a lesser format, Alex will not be gaining godly powers, but in proportion he will be reaching the “God” within himself. He comes to this realization that everything is actually ok in the very end of the book.
It’s in this regard that Alex ties into this realization of mine. Throughout the book, Alex is struggling to reach his full capacity. Perhaps he is scared to reach his full potential, to achieve what the world knows he can accomplish. Which for Alex would be becoming a father (a good one) and doing what he loves and making a difference (teaching). Alex’s evolution, although on an exponentially smaller scale (than the one I quoted), is comparative to that of the example found within the quote. Alex does have a full capacity of his existence; he has reached maybe a quarter of it. Alex is afraid of what he may decide to do if/when he does reach his full potential – or the end of his evolutionary scale, because he is so comfortable where he is in life. Perhaps he realizes this in the end and that is what we see in the end of the book – Alex reaching his full potential, at the end of his evolutionary scale. It took him forever to reach this point, but it was worth it, because what he learned along the way is now invaluable to him. He learned that it’s ok to be himself, that there are always going to be bumps, or in his case mountains along the way. In the end though, things will be ok, but only if you want them to be. And that, is what Alex realized, and that is what set him free.
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