This passage perfectly illustrates the point that A.S. Byatt is trying to make about gods, war, and destruction on earth (or in this case, in the mythical world). It is a beautiful passage because it illuminates so clearly how the gods feel about the death of the gentle, beautiful Baldur. The way it is written makes the grief and sheer shock palpable. It emphasizes that which is impossible can become possible. It is a paragon of incredulity. This is further emphasized with the fact that thin girl herself cannot even begin to imagine what is going on.
This all ties in to the themes of the book. It makes a statement about the carelessness of the gods and those with power. The gods act reckless and thus pay for it. Furthermore this passage sheds light on the futility and fleeting nature of life. With these themes in mind, as well as the craftily composed syntax and imagery, this is one of the strongest passages I found in reading this book.
This passage also struck as very relatable to actual human life as even the greatest of powers can fall. It can be seen on days when heroes pass away, or tragedies occur. Watching something like 9/11 happen seemed to be impossible at the time, but the reality of it brought us infinite pain. Like in Ragnarok when the god dies, nobody can believe that something so unbelievable happened, but the impact is still there and hanging heavy on all surrounding the tragedy
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with the power of this passage. In fact, I had pegged it as my top choice to write about, but I think you analyzed it better than I had planned to.
ReplyDeleteI agree that this passage was very powerful when I read it. It shows that gods too have human-like weaknesses. And when the thin girl tries to imagine that level of pain, she fails because it's such a complex thing to try and feel
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