Simone de Beauvoir knows how to bring the pain. I've taken a breather from my work on Deuxieme Sexe, but it was time to get back to it today. Everything about her intellect is overwhelming; she cites examples from psychoanalysis, Marxism, developmental biology, the literatures of several national traditions and, of course, philosophy. She writes in long, winding paragraphs and backs up every assertion with a dozen examples. It seems like she had spent about sixty years in the library of the Sorbonne before starting work on DS, but she was only in her late 30s (I think) when she wrote it.I had lunch with my advisor yesterday and we were talking about various items of interest to European intellectual historians and he mentioned how all of the normaliens were like Beauvoir. It's the kind of education reserved for an entire prosperous nation's most elite students, something that has only happened haphazardly in the US. It's both a testament to the capacity of the human mind and a humiliating reminder of the fact that I chose to study the smartest people in history and, thus, to feel very, very dull by comparison.
My point is that Simone is very mean to me, but I know that she loves me deep down.
Thanks for all of the nice comments about Becky's newfound El Dorado of temping. She's there right now. She called at lunch and said that it was ok so far.
And with that, I'm off to listen to Turbonegro and clean the bathroom. Basically, I just pour pure bleach on everything and scrub until I'm about to be overwhelmed by the fumes.
Edit: 100th post on blogger. I hereby dedicate this post to the now-clean bathroom.
4 comments:
And of course, we're of the "elite" students in the US, having actually tried to comprehend and understand much of this stuff, unlike the undegrad Ivy Leaguers who get the name elite. European schools are trending towards the US model, though, and I don't know why. It doesn't produce excellent students. Many mediocre students who go to college, yes - but excellent students? Not so much.
And I love the Second Sex - but you better believe I'm reading it in translation. Kudos!
You are a good man - a clean bathroom will be a nice surprise when Becky returns from her first day of temping!
If you want to feel more "normal" read this book by Levy I've been reading. It's very nonsensical so far and will make you realize that people like Beauvoir and Sartre are simply from another time, another generation, lost forever...
I second noncoupable's comment about Levy.
Sorry Simone's such a task master. It takes a brave soul to trek through DS in French. You're doing great :)
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