Thursday, March 19, 2020
Study Guide for Albert Camuss The Fall
Study Guide for Albert Camus's The Fall Delivered by a sophisticated, outgoing, yet often suspicious narrator, Albert Camusââ¬â¢s The Fall employs a format that is rather uncommon in world literature. Like novels such as Dostoevskyââ¬â¢s Notes from Underground, Sartreââ¬â¢s Nausea, and Camusââ¬â¢s own The Stranger, The Fall is set up as a confession by a complicated main character- in this case, an exiled French lawyer named Jean-Baptiste Clamence. But The Fall- unlike these famous first-person writings- is actually a second-person novel. Clamence directs his confession at a single, well-defined listener, a ââ¬Å"youâ⬠character who accompanies him (without ever speaking) for the duration of the novel. In the opening pages of The Fall, Clamence makes this listenerââ¬â¢s acquaintance in a seedy Amsterdam bar known as Mexico City, which entertains ââ¬Å"sailors of all nationalitiesâ⬠(4). Summary In the course of this initial meeting, Clamence playfully notes the similarities between him and his new companion: ââ¬Å"You are my age in a way, with the sophisticated eye of a man in his forties who has seen everything, in a way; you are well dressed in a way, that is as people are in our country; and your hands are smooth. Hence a bourgeois, in a way! But a cultured bourgeois!â⬠(8-9). However, there is much about Clamenceââ¬â¢s identity that remains uncertain. He describes himself as ââ¬Å"a judge-penitent,â⬠yet doesnââ¬â¢t provide an immediate explanation of this uncommon role. And he omits key facts from his descriptions of the past: ââ¬Å"A few years ago I was a lawyer in Paris and, indeed, a rather well-known lawyer. Of course, I didnââ¬â¢t tell you my real nameâ⬠(17). As a lawyer, Clamence had defended poor clients with difficult cases, including criminals. His social life had been full of satisfactions- respect from his colleagues, affairs with many women- and his public behavior had been scrupulously courteous and polite. As Clamence sums up this earlier period: ââ¬Å"Life, its creatures and its gifts, offered themselves to me, and I accepted such marks of homage with a kindly prideâ⬠(23). Eventually, this state of security began to break down, and Clamence traces his increasingly dark state of mind to a few specific life events. While in Paris, Clamence had an argument with ââ¬Å"a spare little man wearing spectaclesâ⬠and riding a motorcycle (51). This altercation with the motorcyclist alerted Clamence to the violent side of his own nature, while another experience- an encounter with a ââ¬Å"slim young woman dressed in blackâ⬠who committed suicide by throwing herself off a bridge- filled Clamence with a sense of ââ¬Å"irresistible weakness (69-70). During an excursion to the Zuider Zee, Clamence describes the more advanced stages of his ââ¬Å"fall.â⬠At first, he began to feel intense turmoil and pangs of disgust with life, although ââ¬Å"for some time, my life continued outwardly as if nothing had changedâ⬠(89). He then took turned to ââ¬Å"alcohol and womenâ⬠for comfort- yet only found temporary solace (103). Clamence expands upon his philosophy of life in the final chapter, which takes place in his own lodgings. Clamence recounts his disturbing experiences as a World War II prisoner of war, lists his objections to commonplace notions of law and freedom, and reveals the depth of his involvement in the Amsterdam underworld. (It turns out that Clamence keeps a famous stolen painting- The Just Judges by Jan van Eyck- in his apartment.) Clamence has resolved to accept life- and to accept his own fallen, immensely flawed nature- but has also resolved to share his troubling insights with anyone who will listen. In the final pages of The Fall, he reveals that his new profession of ââ¬Å"judge-penitentâ⬠involves ââ¬Å"indulging in public confession as often as possibleâ⬠in order to acknowledge, judge, and do penance for his failings (139). Background and Contexts Camusââ¬â¢s Philosophy of Action: One of Camusââ¬â¢s greatest philosophical concerns is the possibility that life is meaningless- and the need (in spite of this possibility) for action and self-assertion. As Camus wrote in his tract The Myth of Sisyphus (1942), philosophical discourse ââ¬Å"was previously a question of finding out whether or not life had to have a meaning to be lived. It now becomes clear on the contrary that it will be lived all the better if it has no meaning. Living an experience, a particular fate, is accepting it fully.â⬠Camus then goes on to declare that ââ¬Å"one of the only coherent philosophical positions is thus revolt. It is constant confrontation between man and his own obscurity.â⬠Even though the Myth of Sisyphus is a classic of French Existentialist philosophy and a central text for understanding Camus, The Fall (which, after all, appeared in 1956) should not merely be taken as a fictional re-working of The Myth of Sisyphus. Clamence does revolt against his life as a Paris lawyer; however, he retreats from society and tries to find specific ââ¬Å"meaningsâ⬠in his actions in a manner that Camus might not have endorsed. Camusââ¬â¢s Background in Drama: According to literary critic Christine Margerrison, Clamence is a ââ¬Å"self-proclaimed actorâ⬠and The Fall itself is Camusââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"greatest dramatic monologue.â⬠At several points in his career, Camus worked simultaneously as a playwright and a novelist. (His plays Caligula and The Misunderstanding appeared in the mid 1940s- the same period that saw the publication of Camusââ¬â¢s novels The Stranger and The Plague. And in the 1950s, Camus both wrote The Fall and worked on theater adaptations of novels by Dostoevsky and William Faulkner.) However, Camus was not the only mid-century author who applied his talents to both theater and the novel. Camusââ¬â¢s Existentialist colleague Jean-Paul Sartre, for instance, is famous for his novel Nausea and for his plays The Flies and No Exit. Another of the greats of 20th century experimental literature- Irish author Samuel Beckett- created novels that read a little like ââ¬Å"dramat ic monologuesâ⬠(Molloy, Malone Dies, The Unnamable) as well as oddly-structured, character-driven plays (Waiting for Godot, Krappââ¬â¢s Last Tape). Amsterdam, Travel, and Exile: Although Amsterdam is one of Europeââ¬â¢s centers of art and culture, the city takes on a rather sinister character in The Fall. Camus scholar David R. Ellison has found several references to disturbing episodes in Amsterdamââ¬â¢s history: first, The Fall reminds us that ââ¬Å"the commerce linking Holland to the Indies included trade not just in spices, foodstuffs, and aromatic wood, but also in slaves; and second, the novel takes place after ââ¬Å"the years of World War II in which the Jewish population of the city (and of the Netherlands as a whole) was subject to persecution, deportation, and ultimate death in Nazi prison camps.â⬠Amsterdam has a dark history, and exile to Amsterdam allows Clamence to face his own unpleasant past. Camus declared in his essay ââ¬Å"The Love of Lifeâ⬠that ââ¬Å"what gives value to travel is fear. It breaks down a kind of inner dà ©cor in us. We canââ¬â¢t cheat any more- hide ourselves away behin d the hours in the office or at the plant.â⬠By going into living abroad and breaking his earlier, soothing routines, Clamence is forced to contemplate his deeds and face his fears. Key Topics Violence and Imagination: Although there is not much open conflict or violent action directly displayed in The Fall, Clamenceââ¬â¢s memories, imaginings, and turns of imagery add violence and viciousness to the novel. After an unpleasant scene during a traffic jam, for instance, Clamence imagines pursuing a rude motorcyclist, ââ¬Å"overtaking him, jamming his machine against the curb, taking him aside, and giving him the licking he had fully deserved. With a few variations, I ran off this little film a hundred times in my imagination. But it was too late, and for several days I chewed a bitter resentmentâ⬠(54). Violent and disturbing fantasies help Clamence to communicate his dissatisfaction with the life he leads. Late in the novel, he compares his feelings of hopeless and perpetual guilt to a special kind of torture: ââ¬Å"I had to submit and admit my guilt. I had to live in the little-ease. To be sure, you are not familiar with that dungeon cell that was called the litt le-ease in the Middle Ages. In general, one was forgotten there for life. That cell was distinguished from others by ingenious dimensions. It was not high enough to stand up in nor yet wide enough to lie down in. One had to take an awkward manner and live on the diagonalâ⬠(109). Clamenceââ¬â¢s Approach to Religion: Clamence does not define himself as a religious man. However, references to God and Christianity play a major part in Clamenceââ¬â¢s manner of speaking- and help Clamence to explain his changes in attitude and outlook. During his years of virtue and altruism, Clamence took Christian kindliness to grotesque proportions: ââ¬Å"A very Christian friend of mine admitted that oneââ¬â¢s initial feeling on seeing a beggar approach oneââ¬â¢s house is unpleasant. Well, with me it was worse: I used to exultâ⬠(21). Eventually, Clamence finds yet another use for religion that is admittedly awkward and inappropriate. During his fall, the lawyer made references ââ¬Å"to God in my speeches before the courtâ⬠- a tactic that ââ¬Å"awakened mistrust in my clientsâ⬠(107). But Clamence also uses the Bible to explain his insights about human guilt and suffering. For him, Sin is part of the human condition, and even Christ on the cross is a figure of guilt: ââ¬Å"He knew he was not altogether innocent. If he did not bear the weight of the crime he was accused of, he had committed others- even though he didnââ¬â¢t know which onesâ⬠(112). Clamenceââ¬â¢s Unreliability: At several points in The Fall, Clamence acknowledges that his words, actions, and apparent identity are of questionable validity. Camusââ¬â¢s narrator is very good at playing different, even dishonest roles. Describing his experiences with women, Clamence notes that ââ¬Å"I played the game. I knew they didnââ¬â¢t like one to reveal oneââ¬â¢s purpose too quickly. First, there had to be conversation, fond attentions, as they say. I wasnââ¬â¢t worried about speeches, being a lawyer, nor about glances, having been an amateur actor during my military service. I often changed parts, but it was always the same playâ⬠(60). And later in the novel, he asks a series of rhetorical questions- ââ¬Å"Donââ¬â¢t lies eventually lead to the truth? And donââ¬â¢t all my stories, true or false, tend toward the same conclusion?â⬠- before concluding that ââ¬Å"authors of confessions write especially to avoid confessing, to tell nothing of wha t they knowâ⬠(119-120). It would be wrong to assume that Clamence has given his listener nothing but lies and fabrications. Yet it is possible that he is freely mixing lies and truth to create a convincing ââ¬Å"actâ⬠- that he strategically using a persona to obscure particular facts and feelings. A Few Discussion Questions Do you think that Camus and Clamence have similar political, philosophical, and religious beliefs? Are there any major differences- and if so, why do you think Camus decided to create a character whose views are so at odds with his own?In some important passages in The Fall, Clamence introduces violent images and intentionally shocking opinions. Why do you think Clamence is dwelling on such disconcerting topics? How is his willingness to make his listener uneasy tied to his role as a ââ¬Å"judge-penitent?â⬠Exactly how reliable is Clamence, in your opinion? Does he ever seem to exaggerate, to obscure the truth, or to introduce obvious falsehoods? Find a few passages where Clamence seems especially elusive or unreliable, and keep in mind that Clamence may become significantly more (or significantly less) reliable from passage to passage.Re-imagine The Fall told from a different perspective. Would Camusââ¬â¢s novel be more effective as a first-person account by Clamence, withou t a listener? As a straightforward, third-person description of Clamenceââ¬â¢s life? Or is The Fall supremely effective in its present form? Note on Citations: All page numbers refer to Justin OBriens translation of The Fall (Vintage International, 1991).
Tuesday, March 3, 2020
How to Say And in Mandarin
How to Say And in Mandarin Some English words have several possible Mandarin Chinese translations. Knowing when to use the correct word is one of the main challenges for both beginner-level Mandarin students and professional translators alike. For example, the English word for can has at least three possible Mandarin translations: èÆ' ½ (nà ©ng), Ã¥ ¯Ã¤ » ¥ (kÃ⺠yà ), and ä ¼Å¡ (huà ¬). Another English word with multiple translations is ââ¬Å"and.â⬠You may think that there can be no possible variations for and, but there are many different meanings for this word. It depends on the subtle nuances of the speaker or writers meaning or the context in which this conjunction is used. Joining Nouns In sentences that combine nouns or noun phrases, there are three ways to say and. All three of these connectors are interchangeable and commonly used. They are: Hà ©Ã¢ : Ã¥âÅ'Hnâ : Ã¥âÅ'GÃânâ : è ·Å¸ Note that hà © and hn use the same character. The hn pronunciation is most commonly heard in Taiwan. The example sentences are given first in English, followed by a transliteration in Chinese calledà pinyin,à a Romanization system used to help beginners learn Mandarin. Pinyanà transcribes the sounds of Mandarin using the Romanà alphabet. Pinyin is most commonly used in Mainland China for teaching school children to read and it is also widely used in teaching materials designed for Westerners who wish to learn Mandarin.à The sentences are then listed in Chinese characters in traditional and simplified forms where appropriate. He and I are colleagues.WÃâ hn tà shà ¬ tà ³ngshà ¬.æËâÃ¥âÅ'ä »â"Ã¦Ë ¯Ã¥ Å'ä ºâ¹ Both pineapple and mango are good to eat.Fà ¨nglà hà © mngguÃâ dÃ
u hÃâºn hÃŽo chà «.(traditional form) é ³ ³Ã¦ ¢ ¨Ã¥âÅ'èŠâæžÅ"éÆ' ½Ã¥ ¾ËÃ¥ ¥ ½Ã¥ Æ'(simplified form) å⡠¤Ã¦ ¢ ¨Ã¥âÅ'èŠâæžÅ"éÆ' ½Ã¥ ¾ËÃ¥ ¥ ½Ã¥ Æ' She and mom went for a walk.Tà gÃân mà ma qà ¹ gung jiÃâ.Ã¥ ¥ ¹Ã¨ ·Å¸Ã¥ ª ½Ã¥ ª ½Ã¥Å½ »Ã©â¬âºÃ¨ ¡â"Ã¥ ¥ ¹Ã¨ ·Å¸Ã¥ ¦ËÃ¥ ¦ËåŽ »Ã©â¬âºÃ¨ ¡â" This pair of shoes and that pair of shoes are the same price.Zhà ¨ shuà ng xià © gÃân n shuà ng xià © jiqian yà yng.éâ¬â¢Ã©âºâ¢Ã©Å¾â¹Ã¨ ·Å¸Ã©â £Ã©âºâ¢Ã©Å¾â¹Ã¥Æ' ¹Ã©Å' ¢Ã¤ ¸â¬Ã¦ ¨ £Ã¨ ¿â¢Ã¥ Å'éžâ¹Ã¨ ·Å¸Ã©â £Ã¥ Å'éžâ¹Ã¤ » ·Ã©â ±Ã¤ ¸â¬Ã¦ · Joining Verbs The Mandarin Chinese character ä ¹Å¸ (yÃâº) is used to join verbs or verb phrases. It translates as either ââ¬Å"andâ⬠or ââ¬Å"also.â⬠I like to watch movies and listen to music.WÃâ xà huan kn dinyà ng yÃ⺠xà huan tà «ng yà «nyuà ¨.æËâÃ¥â"Å"æ ¡Ã§Å"â¹Ã©âº »Ã¥ ½ ±Ã¤ ¹Å¸Ã¥â"Å"æ ¡Ã¨ ½Ã©Å¸ ³Ã¦ ¨âæËâÃ¥â"Å"æ ¬ ¢Ã§Å"â¹Ã§â µÃ¥ ½ ±Ã¤ ¹Å¸Ã¥â"Å"æ ¬ ¢Ã¥ ¬Ã©Å¸ ³Ã¤ ¹ He doesnââ¬â¢t like to go for walks and he doesnââ¬â¢t like to exercise.Tà bà ¹ xà huan gung jiÃâ yÃ⺠bà ¹ xà huan yà ¹ndà ²ng.ä »â"ä ¸ Ã¥â"Å"æ ¡Ã©â¬âºÃ¨ ¡â"ä ¹Å¸Ã¤ ¸ Ã¥â"Å"æ ¡Ã© â¹Ã¥â¹â¢Ã¤ »â"ä ¸ Ã¥â"Å"æ ¬ ¢Ã©â¬âºÃ¨ ¡â"ä ¹Å¸Ã¤ ¸ Ã¥â"Å"æ ¬ ¢Ã¨ ¿ 动 Other Transition Words There are a few Mandarin Chinese words that can be translated as ââ¬Å"and,â⬠but which more accurately mean ââ¬Å"furthermore, ââ¬Å"moreover,â⬠or other such transition words. These words are sometimes used to show a cause-and-effect relationship between the two phrases. Chinese transition words include: Ãâ°r qiÃ⺠- èâ¬Å'ä ¸â: additionallyà Bà ¬ng qiÃ⺠- ä ¸ ¦Ã¤ ¸â (traditional) / Ã¥ ¹ ¶Ã¤ ¸â (simplified): and; moreoverRn hà ²u - ç⠶å ¾Å' / ç⠶å Ž: and thenYà hà ²u - ä » ¥Ã¥ ¾Å' / ä » ¥Ã¥ Ž: and afterHi yÃâu -à éââæÅ"â° / è ¿ËæÅ"â°: even more; on top of thatCà wi -à æ ¤Ã¥ ¤â": furthermore Ãâ°r qiÃ⺠èâ¬Å'ä ¸â additionally Bà ¬ng qiÃ⺠ä ¸ ¦Ã¤ ¸â (traditional)Ã¥ ¹ ¶Ã¤ ¸â (simplified) andmoreover Rn hà ²u ç⠶å ¾Å'ç⠶å Ž and then Yà hà ²u ä » ¥Ã¥ ¾Å'ä » ¥Ã¥ Ž and after Hi yÃâu éââæÅ"â°Ã¨ ¿ËæÅ"â° even moreon top of that Cà wi æ ¤Ã¥ ¤â" furthermore Sentence Examples of Transition Words As noted, the particular form of and that you use in Mandarin Chinese depends heavily on the context and meaning of the word. It can be helpful, therefore, to peruse some example sentences to see how the different forms of and are used in various contexts. This is a very good movie and (moreover) the music is very nice.Zhà ¨ bà ¹ dinyà ng hÃâºnhÃŽokn à ©rqiÃ⺠yà «nyuà ¨ hÃâºnhÃŽo tà «ng.éâ¬â¢Ã©Æ' ¨Ã©âº »Ã¥ ½ ±Ã¥ ¾ËÃ¥ ¥ ½Ã§Å"â¹Ã¨â¬Å'ä ¸âéŸ ³Ã¦ ¨âÃ¥ ¾ËÃ¥ ¥ ½Ã¨ ½Ã¨ ¿â¢Ã©Æ' ¨Ã§â µÃ¥ ½ ±Ã¥ ¾ËÃ¥ ¥ ½Ã§Å"â¹Ã¨â¬Å'ä ¸âéŸ ³Ã¤ ¹ Ã¥ ¾ËÃ¥ ¥ ½Ã¥ ¬ This knapsack is very practical and (furthermore) the price is reasonable.Zhà ¨gà ¨ fngshuà bÃâibà o hÃâºn shà yà ²ng bà ¬ngqiÃ⺠jigà © hà ©là .éâ¬â¢Ã¥â¬â¹Ã©Ë ²Ã¦ ° ´Ã¨Æ'Å'Ã¥Å'â¦Ã¥ ¾ËÃ¥ ¯ ¦Ã§â ¨Ã¤ ¸ ¦Ã¤ ¸âÃ¥Æ' ¹Ã¦ ¼Ã¥ Ëç â è ¿â¢Ã¤ ¸ ªÃ©Ë ²Ã¦ ° ´Ã¨Æ'Å'Ã¥Å'â¦Ã¥ ¾ËÃ¥ ®Å¾Ã§â ¨Ã¥ ¹ ¶Ã¤ ¸âä » ·Ã¦ ¼Ã¥ Ëç â We can first go have dinner and then see a movie.WÃâmen xià n qà ¹ chà « wÃŽncà n rnhà ²u zi qà ¹ kn dinyà ng.æËâÃ¥â¬âÃ¥â¦ËåŽ »Ã¥ Æ'æâ¢Å¡Ã© ¤ ç⠶å ¾Å'Ã¥â åŽ »Ã§Å"â¹Ã©âº »Ã¥ ½ ±Ã¦Ëâä » ¬Ã¥â¦ËåŽ »Ã¥ Æ'æâ¢Å¡Ã© ¤ ç⠶å Žåâ åŽ »Ã§Å"â¹Ã§â µÃ¥ ½ ± Eat dinner, and then you can eat dessert.Chà « wn wÃŽncà n yà hà ²u jià ¹ nà ©ng chà « tin diÃŽn.Ã¥ Æ'Ã¥ ®Å'æâ¢Å¡Ã© ¤ ä » ¥Ã¥ ¾Å'Ã¥ ° ±Ã¨Æ' ½Ã¥ Æ'çâÅ"é »Å¾Ã£â¬âÃ¥ Æ'Ã¥ ®Å'æâ¢Å¡Ã© ¤ ä » ¥Ã¥ Žå ° ±Ã¨Æ' ½Ã¥ Æ'çâÅ"ç⠹ãâ¬â Im cold because I didnt wear enough clothes, and on top of that its snowing now.WÃâ lÃâºng yà «nwà ¨i wÃâ chuà n bà ¹gà ²u yà «fà º, hi yÃâu xinzi xi xuÃâºle.æËâå⠷å⺠ç⠺æËâç © ¿Ã¤ ¸ Ã¥ ¤ è ¡ £Ã¦Å" éââæÅ"â°Ã§ ¾Ã¥Å" ¨Ã¤ ¸â¹Ã©âº ªÃ¤ ºâ ãâ¬âæËâå⠷å⺠ä ¸ ºÃ¦Ëâç © ¿Ã¤ ¸ Ã¥ ¤Å¸Ã¨ ¡ £Ã¦Å" è ¿ËæÅ"â°Ã§Å½ °Ã¥Å" ¨Ã¤ ¸â¹Ã©âº ªÃ¤ ºâ ãâ¬â Lets quickly go see the cherry blossoms. The weather is nice today, furthermore it will rain tomorrow.WÃâmen kui qà ¹ kn yà «nghuà . Tià nqà ¬ hÃâºn hÃŽo, cà wi mà ngtià n huà ¬ xi yÃâ.æËâÃ¥â¬âÃ¥ ¿ «Ã¥Å½ »Ã§Å"â¹Ã¦ « »Ã¨Å ±Ã£â¬âÃ¥ ¤ ©Ã¦ ° £Ã¥ ¾ËÃ¥ ¥ ½Ã¦ ¤Ã¥ ¤â"æËŽå ¤ ©Ã¦Å"Æ'ä ¸â¹Ã©âº ¨Ã£â¬âæËâä » ¬Ã¥ ¿ «Ã¥Å½ »Ã§Å"â¹Ã¦ ¨ ±Ã¨Å ±Ã£â¬â Ã¥ ¤ ©Ã¦ °âÃ¥ ¾ËÃ¥ ¥ ½Ã¦ ¤Ã¥ ¤â"æËŽå ¤ ©Ã¤ ¼Å¡Ã¤ ¸â¹Ã©âº ¨Ã£â¬â
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