Friday, November 16, 2007
I DO NOT LIKE GREEK GODS AND HAM
The millions of visitors to my blog will notice that the Tone-man's brain makes some oddball connections from time to time; the latest association of two not-at-all-related things came this week, during frequent readings of Green Eggs and Ham to the little guy. For those who don't know the story, it concerns a furry, top-hat wearing repressed individual tormented by desires that he can't admit to himself. His appetites take the form of a mischievous sprite, called Sam-I-am, who hounds our protagonist until he indulges in--and enjoys--the things he has forbidden himself from having for so long.
Funny that I should be reading this book just when my mind had been comparing Greek myths to Calvinism. The thing that amazes me about the tales of the Olympian gods is how excessive and unrestrained Zeus & co. are, even when they know that breaking down and giving into passion or rage will cause grief in the long run. For all of their amazing abilities, they lack any kind of control over themselves, and even an eternity's worth of counseling wouldn't make them change. The contrast with the modern version of Abraham's God is striking, especially given the Protestant drive to stifle outbursts and tantrums of any kind.
The ancient Greeks seemed to acknowledge the limits of human nature even among divinities, and accept an idea that strikes me as wiser and wiser all the time; don't get between the heart and what it wants. But bowing to this philosophy means the gods and everyone else gets a blank check from the bank of behavior. The Puritans' stern disapproval and urging to make themselves better has a certain comfort to it--and it also seems a tad unrealistic.
Yet let us return to Dr. Seuss, whose moral is this--it's perfectly okay to consume green meat and poultry products.
The millions of visitors to my blog will notice that the Tone-man's brain makes some oddball connections from time to time; the latest association of two not-at-all-related things came this week, during frequent readings of Green Eggs and Ham to the little guy. For those who don't know the story, it concerns a furry, top-hat wearing repressed individual tormented by desires that he can't admit to himself. His appetites take the form of a mischievous sprite, called Sam-I-am, who hounds our protagonist until he indulges in--and enjoys--the things he has forbidden himself from having for so long.
Funny that I should be reading this book just when my mind had been comparing Greek myths to Calvinism. The thing that amazes me about the tales of the Olympian gods is how excessive and unrestrained Zeus & co. are, even when they know that breaking down and giving into passion or rage will cause grief in the long run. For all of their amazing abilities, they lack any kind of control over themselves, and even an eternity's worth of counseling wouldn't make them change. The contrast with the modern version of Abraham's God is striking, especially given the Protestant drive to stifle outbursts and tantrums of any kind.
The ancient Greeks seemed to acknowledge the limits of human nature even among divinities, and accept an idea that strikes me as wiser and wiser all the time; don't get between the heart and what it wants. But bowing to this philosophy means the gods and everyone else gets a blank check from the bank of behavior. The Puritans' stern disapproval and urging to make themselves better has a certain comfort to it--and it also seems a tad unrealistic.
Yet let us return to Dr. Seuss, whose moral is this--it's perfectly okay to consume green meat and poultry products.
# posted by toner_low @ 11:22 PM 
