CHAPTER XXIII--BJERKELY
THIS IS THE TURNING POINT CHAPTER...RECALL WHAT WE SAID
REGARDING POINT OF VIEW? WHAT DOES IT MEAN PHILOSOPHICALLY?
I. THIS CHAPTER BEGINS WITH HILDE AS CHARACTER IN 'REAL LIFE' AND NOT SOMEONE OF "FICTION" IN SOPHIE’S "WORLD" , BUT...
II. FRIDAY, JUNE 15, 1975 IS HER BIRTHDAY, AS IS SOPHIE’S.
III. HILDE’S FATHER’S NAME IS ALBERT KNAG. WHAT HAS THE NOVEL POSITED ABOUT COINCIDENCES? TO PURSUE THIS FURTHER, CHECK THE FREUD CHAPTER AND JUNG'S DESCENT ARCHETYPE.
IV. SHE OPENED A LARGE PACKAGE ON HER NIGHT TABLE; IT CONTAINED A NOVEL WRITTEN FOR HER CALLED SOPHIE’S WORLD
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INVENTORY...
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V. WHAT IS REALITY:
A. CORRELATE WITH THE NIGHT FACE UP--a short story by JULIO CORTAZAR
B. WE HAVE BEEN READING ABOUT SOPHIE AND NOW WE DISCOVER SHE IS A FICTITIOUS CHILD IN A BOOK ABOUT THE HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY WRITTEN TO / FOR HER BY HER FATHER WHO IS A UN OBSERVER IN LEBANON
VI. THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS EXCERPTS FROM THE BEGINNING OF SOPHIE’S WORLD:
A. HILDE NOW READS OF THE POSTCARDS THAT CONFUSED SOPHIE REGARDING WHO HILDE WAS IN THE FIRST PLACE
B. HILDE’S FATHER HAD WRITTEN A LETTER SUGGESTING THAT PHILOSOPHY BE TAUGHT IN HIGH SCHOOL
VII. HOW DID THE RED SCARF OF HILDE GOT INTO THE NOVEL?
VIII. HILDE READS THE CHAPTER ABOUT THE CABIN, THE MIRROR AND THE BERKELEY ; BJERKELY CONFUSION.
A. THIS CHAPTER QUOTES EXCERPTS FROM THE PHILOSOPHERS SOPHIE HAD STUDIED THAT HAVE RELEVANCE IN HELPING HILDE UNDERSTAND THE TWO REALITIES...
| 1. WHAT DID THE GREEK PRESOCRATICS ATTEMPT?
2. WAS SOPHIE IN ATHENS? 3. WHY IS BERKELEY SO IMPORTANT?-is he a rationalist or empiricist (careful)? 4. WHY IS ARISTOTLE'S CRITIQUE OF PLATO SIGNIFICANT?--recall the laws of causality. 5. PLOTINUS' (NEO-PLATONIC / HELLENISM)--IDEA OF EMANATIONISM IMPLIES..? 6. WHAT PHILOSOPHERS INVESTIGATED DREAMS?--see also Hamlet, AND A FAMOUS PSYCHOLOGIST WILL GET HIS OWN CHAPTER IN THIS NOVEL. |
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B. WHAT IS THE DIVINE MYSTERY BEHIND THE EXISTENCE OF SOPHIE FOR HILDE AND HILDE FOR SOPHIE??? WHO IN THE NOVEL IS OMNISCIENT, AND HAVE THERE BEEN CLUES?
IX. HILDE CONCLUDES THAT SOPHIE REALLY EXISTS
A. DOES SHE?
B. THE MIRROR?
C. THE CROSS AND CHAIN AND THE IMPORTANCE OF THE DREAM BOTH PSYCHOLOGICALLY AND LITERARILY.
X. A FLASHBACK CHART:
| CURRENT CHAPTER | FLASHBACKS |
| the mirror, page 285 | page 96 |
| Sophie off to school, page 287 | page 3 |
| Where did the world come from, page 287 | page 7 |
| Apology for letter method of contact, page 288 | page 10 |
| Philosophy is not for the casual mind, page 288 | page 14 |
| The red scarf, page 289 | pages 57 / 72 |
| Berkeley and Bjerkely, page 292 | page 96 |
| Winking in the mirror, page 293 | page 96 |
| Who was Hilde; how would Sophie find her, page 294 | page 121 |
...More could be added, but note that a great deal more makes sense than at the beginning of our quest. The remainder of the novel will chronicle how Sophie and Hilde et. al. interact. They want to meet each other face to face (p. 293). Can they?
XI. THE CHAPTER ENDS WITH SOPHIE DREAMING OF A GIRL AND HER FATHER (P. 188, THE RENAISSANCE). IS THE DREAM PROPHETIC? WE RECALL THAT SOPHIE THINKS THE MAJOR LOOKS LIKE ALBERTO. WHAT WOULD JUNG SAY?
A. DOES THIS MAKE SENSE: THE MAJOR : HILDE :: ALBERTO : SOPHIE?
B. BUT IS THE ANALOGY COMPLETE? REMEMBER WHAT BACON AND HUME SAID WE MUST DO, BUT AT THE SAME TIME ARISTOTLE'S CONTRIBUTION SHOULD NOT BE OVERLOOKED.
C. HILDE DOES CONCLUDE (P. 298) BY BELIEVING SOPHIE EXISTS BEYOND PEN AND INK. DOES SHE? HOW? LET'S ASK BERKELEY.
SUPPLEMENTARY READINGS
REVIEW THE PREVIOUS CHAPTERS TO CORRELATE THEIR CONTENT WITH THE HILDE / SOPHIE DIALECTIC DRAMATIZED HERE. YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO SEE HOW THE DRAMA HAS BEEN ACTUALIZED BY THE PHILOSOPHY.
READ THE NIGHT FACE UP.
REVIEW THE NOTES ON POINT OF VIEW--CORRELATE LITERARY TECHNIQUE WITH OUR PHILOSOPHICAL QUEST.
REVIEW DREAM PSYCHOLOGY and DO A SEARCH OF SHAKESPEARE FOR HIS USE OF DREAMING IMAGERY.