116 Street



"I can't remember doc, it's all such a blur"

"This is really starting to sound like a dream to me David."

"But it was so real. I have a hard time believing that it was a dream. Besides, I never remember my dreams."

"The mind is a very elastic thing. It is constantly changing, evolving, thinking things for you in your subconscious. The fact that the events all seem so dream like, that it didnšt make any sense to you, these are all things that are characteristic of a dream."

"But still."

"Look David, Some things in that happen within the mind are unexplainable. You aren't going to be able to get a clear cut answer to all questions. I have a good analogy that will maybe make things clearer for you. Would you like to hear it?"

God this guy loves to hear himself talk. "Shoot."

"Okay, so you are reading a work of fiction, lets say, Sarasine's 'Honore de Balzac', have you ever read it?"

"No."

"Well that doesn't matter. Sarasine is the master of the plot. He is constantly using literary devices to play with the reader, to toy with this emotions. Sarasine himself already know the outcome, but he creates suspense, he characterizes his characters all with the ending in mind. He is also writing for what he hopes is a universal audience, an idealized reader that will understand his symbolism, his allusions. But you know, as well as I, that everyone is different. We all bring different experiences and beliefs to the text with us. So do you know how Sarasine manages to pull this off?"






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