Friday, March 30, 2007
Question Two for "The Singing Silence"
The narrator of “The Singing Silence” says, “At Cala Pujol it is easy to forget,” and then goes on to describe the beauty of the place, ending with, “In peace, one forgets.” How might the narrator’s feelings affect how he responds to the story of Vicente’s search for the amphora?
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Fascinated with the stunning beauty of the seascape, the narrator sinks into its depths and forgets about everything. His feelings help him to understand Vicente’s unending desire to see indescribable charm of the deep sea and listen to mysterious music of underwater kingdom over and over again. He notices Vicente, searching for the amphora, grows happier year by year because perhaps, the broken antique becomes for him not the only reason for going far out into the sea. There he finds freedom and consolation. “And once again, as when he was a boy, the sea sang for him,” and his heart swells with exaltation.
Beautiful sight creates the atmosphere of peace. However, people don’t care and cherish things in peace environment. Everything seems to be granted in peace time. Therefore, the narrator concludes the beauty of place with “In peace, one forgets”. That is a hint to tell readers that the narrator maybe respect Vicente’s search temporarily, but he will forget Vicente and the whole story soon. It dooms that Vicente is a tragic person in this story. People can not remember him no matter what he has done.
Two different worlds: the real one without money, luck and future, and the other one with atmosphere of peace, beauty and hope. “In peace, one forgets.” – this is about how to escape from the troubles, desolation and rules. Was it Vicente’s search for the amphora or search for the
ability to realize that the sea world totally accepted him, opening the real freedom, beauty and warmth? “…Receiving with joy the praise that would greet him there” this is the “singing” part of the “silence”.
The narrator "The Singing Silence" says,"At Cala Pujol it is easy to forget." This tells that the men at Cala Pujol are all morall men like "The turquoise waters deep and clear to the bottom".They trust in each other and don't need to memorize that who has borrowed your boad or something because no one has ever been deceived like "the sand is untrodden".In such the peace of life,nothing is strongly impressed on one's mind.Therefore,in the narrator's eyes,the American has already forgotten about his amphora broken many yeas ago even though foolish Vicente has been "searching for the amphora which in honor he felt he must find to replace the one he had broken".The narrator of course has respect and sadness for Vicente.He comments, "Vicente is an honorable man." When "No one saw the old man again,""The seas had been heavy."
In one paragraph the narrator uses the word “forget” twice, reflecting his casual attitude to the environment. He is like an outsider, a traveler, who treats Vicente as a special decoration of a peaceful landscape. When a tour guide, the fisherman, explains the history of the decoration to him, he can response it without emotions. In this way, he gives space to readers to understand, to appreciate or to judge Vicente’s life by themselves.
The narrator describes the beauty of the sea is that he agees with its attraction for the first sight. However, he hates the sea tortures Vicente's life for years to search the amphora. "Day by day, week by week, month by month, and so into the years, Vicents, searching for the amphora to replace the one he had broken." The narrator sees and admires Vicent's strengths of searching and struggling under the sea, so he feels it is the only remarkable event captures his attention at Cala Pujol. When Vicente disappears at the Cala Pujol, there is nothing for him to remember, and so he says,"In peace, one forgets."
The narrator shows us two worlds, a realistic world and a beautiful seascape. In the realistic world Vicente's search is easily forgotten by people, "At Cala Pujol is it easy to forget". From Vicente's search, he found another world. Which is a symbol of unrivaled beauty. In which one breaths with eyes, and music is silent. There, he found himself. His search became a part of his life. His heart was just like the untrodden sand of the seabottom. Vicente forgot the struggling, despair, and the real purpose of searching, "In peace, one forgets."
When a person places himself in a beautiful and peaceful place, he can’t help focusing on the charming scenery and enjoying it. He would forget his troubles and responsibilities. However, Vicente spends dozens of year in searching for the amphora. It seems impossible to realize his goal, and even the owner of the amphora forgives him, but Vicente keeps his promise all the time. Therefore, the narrator might be shocked by the story of Vicente.
The narrator believes the beach area he and Viscente occupy is a beautiful place where people are at ease. The narrator might feel this is a good way for an old man such as Viscente to use up his time. Viscente might be alone but he is having a preoccuping vivid experience.
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