Evening at a Public Library

[Martha Villiers]

Martha chirps happily; "Ah, well, Camus suggests that, in the potential absence of any nurturing and protective deity and faced with a cold universe, Mankind can take delight in the task of living itself."

"Purely for its own sake. He suggests that Sisyphus, rolling his rock to the crest of the hill. Only to see it fall back down the hill and have to repeat the task. A punishment of sorts. No doubt about that. Yet, Camus suggests that he should recognize that, in some degree, Sisyphus is experiencing a measure of contentment."

Another happy smile. Her hand mimes the actions of rolling the rock up the hill. Then she pantomimes the shock and dismay of Sisyphus watching the rock fall away... More emulating a typical 1950s pin-up expression of playful shock than the infinite torment of a Soul shackled by wrathful gods.

"He is trapped in his task. But it is a task nonetheless. In some Zen-like capacity, he can take a pride and delight in the simple completion of even part of that task." she smiles sweetly.

[Truce]

"Hmm," responds Truce, considering Martha's summary of Camus. "I do recall the story of this man, rolling the rock. That does certainly denote futility. Isn't that man in the tale also dead? That his punishment is one carried out in the afterlife? So Camus's take is that futility too is just a matter of perception. That so long as action can be taken, that one can struggle against the obstacle, that it is somehow inherently worthwhile?" he asks, gauging his interpretation against Martha.

How like the struggle the Awakened face against the Abyss. With no hope in sight we do still struggle, never knowing if our efforts can change the state of the Fallen World.

[Martha Villiers]

Smiling, Martha nods in overall agreement;

"Indeed, sir! Yes, it was a punishment. But, even under conditions of such torment and isolation, why not try to take whatever joy that can be extracted from the situation? Doubtless people could draw alternative conclusions; but, when there is an absence of existential hope, why not simply take comfort in whatever happiness we can or whatever positive impact and effect we can detect upon the world!"

Aware she's putting a generally positive spin on the essential message of Camus, Martha offers another happy smile and blinks in a bashful manner. Once more, her peg leg waggles.

[Truce]

Again Truce is silent as he absorbs this line of thought. He taps his pen against the wooden tabletop before responding.

"That may imply that even in desperate situations that those who suffer will eventually accept their torment as inevitable and so reinforce the punishment. I suppose that's the contrast between general thought and what Camus must be trying to portray. Even so, it reminds me of some of the psychological effects of imprisonment that incarcerated inmates endure. Some become dependent on an abusive system and eventually are unfit for civil society, becoming dependent on the system they have grown a part of. I guess it's hard to imagine that all punishments have a silver lining..." Truce seems apologetic voicing his doubts, but doesn't seem to shy away from the subject.

I wonder if that could also be applied to the Twilight specters of the dead. They enforce their own suffering in their ignorance or obsession. Could Camus's approach provide some solution to inspire hope, I wonder?

[Chrisie]

"Oh, no. Silver lining? Well, sir, Camus isn't suggesting an arrival at the contemplative serenity is inevitable. Rather, he recognized that not everyone would be willing, or able, to come to the conclusion we are discussing. He is simply suggesting that it's the most logical posture to adopt when faced with existential annihilation and the possible futility of the cosmos." she smiles.

Perhaps she's aware that her smile, sweet and innocent as it is, is both in direct contrast and agreement with the darkness of the topic and the unusual hope it provides.

[Truce]

"Oh," says Truce before hesitating as he reevaluates what Martha tells him. "Ah, I suppose I make assumptions when I'm faced with something I don't quite understand, heh," he laughs lightly before unfolding his hands and flattening them to the table. "So perhaps simply a willingness to concede the idea that there is contentment in futility may have been his motive? It is a rather large view he's taking on existence, but that's appropriate. Again I contribute my ignorance to my lack of experience in these matters. I will give it some due consideration and investigation." He laughs again, ever humble.

"So I hope you don't mind if I change the subject. Is it alright if I ask about your reasons for studying Anthropology? A fascination in the achievements of man or maybe a search for self and one's place in the grand scheme of things?" Truce makes the attempt to bring the conversation to a more personal level in order to better understand where Martha is coming from in her viewpoint.

[Martha Villiers]

As Paul spoke, Martha listened and smiled. Blinking bashfully as he laughs at his own confusion.

"More a search, as if history, for how Mankind functions as a whole. Psychology seems to focus on the micro-scale; I seem, now that I have a chance to reflect on your question, Paul," she smiles sweetly, as if finding a secret delight in the familiarity of using his name.

"... to focus more on the meso- and macro-level of the business of human decision making and action. Rather than solely upon achievements, I am interested in how things come to crisis and unravel. Where and how do wars begin and end? What are the root causes of divergent cultures? What cultural forces and expectations drive the decisions of the leaders of nations? What are the subtle alterations in events that might have allowed for different, more positive, outcomes? I suppose, Paul," and now Martha's hands mime the wings and steady flight path of an airliner, "Like an air accident investigator, I feel that by studying the past, one can learn and thereby avoid repeating mistakes."

She smiles sweetly once more. Watching Paul to see where he takes their conversation now. Martha gives no indication of finding him dull. Quite the reverse!

Her peg leg waggles once again, yet she resists the temptation to rub hard at her maimed thigh. Preferring to make a small and humble adjustment to her spectacles as she speaks.

[Truce]

Truce finds himself feeling his own sense of awe at the scope of Martha's vision. Like an air investigator indeed, gazing over the whole stretch of human history from a bird's eye view. "Sounds as though you're interested in the greatest turning points of human history. Quite a different playing field than psychology, I agree. I'm still getting the hang of working as a rehabilitation assistant which is usually just two-on-one. Still, I'm amazed by your passion for the human condition. You may have a better chance than I to discover the key to a Utopian society."

This is nice, thinks Truce to himself. Just a pleasant and free thinking conversation sharing the wealth of knowledge in the world. "I do hope I'll be able to have an influence eventually on that micro scale. Changing one person's mind seems far more difficult at times than changing the perception of the masses. Seems that the mob mentality and social stigmas have more sway than advisement behind closed doors. I don't suppose you'd agree with that?" says Truce, probing a different line of discussion.

[Martha Villiers]

Martha listened and paused. Rubbing at her the shaft of her peg leg where her knee once was, she was silent. Assessing the question and thinking about her reply.

"A most profound question and line of reasoning, sir..." she offers in quiet admiration.

Taking a moment to now needlessly adjust her spectacles, she studies Paul with a shy smile.

"In many ways people are just as likely to be persuaded individually or as a group. It is certainly true that a group behaves in a strange way. History has many examples, but the infamous Milgram and Standford Prison experiments show people can be coaxed into terrible behavior with terrifying ease." she shrugs, certain that Paul will grasp the details of these experiments better than she.

"A nation's leader is no less likely to be led astray by his own failure to grasp a subject or be supplied erroneous or malicious advice than anyone else. Through weakness, misjudgment or ignorance, they make mistakes too. In many ways, the plethora of secret information available to a nation's leader might even cause them to fail to see details that are crucial, or become dangerously out of synch with their population." she smiles sweetly.

"For example, during the Cuban Missile Crisis... The President clearly had access to secret intelligence that would persuade him of the benefit of certain actions. Yet, the general population, unaware of these details, might believe, thanks to internalized cultural norms, that another course of action would be ideal."

"Ironically, too much information can be just as hazardous as having too little. The American fleet falling prey to the Japanese assault on Pearl Harbour is a classic example!" again, her tiny hands energetically mime dive bombing Japanese planes.

"The intelligence picture could have allowed the Americans to prepare more carefully. Perhaps even thwart the assault! But their analysts were deluged by intelligence. There were too many variables. They could not, if you'll pardon the metaphor, see the wood for the trees!" she smiles sweetly. Her hands coming to rest as she watches Paul, waiting to see where he'll take the conversation next.

[Pepper]

Pepper entered the Library late - she was dropping off some previously borrowed books and hoping to get some decently current resources on a subject for her fact-checking at work.

At least, that was the plan until she took a moment to look around at the other patrons. Was that Truce? Then the tiny woman he spoke to dug up another memory of a chance meeting and long conversation. Raising an eyebrow, she approached, giving them a worn and weary smile. She listened mostly, only catchy the tail end of Martha's latest tidbit before she tilted her head and remarked, "Odd, I recall one of my history teachers telling the story of an Analyst who had predicted the attack with quite a bit of detail, then was tried for Treason because his prediction of events was too accurate as far as the military powers were concerned. But I was in Seventh grade at the time of hearing the story, so I'm afraid I don't remember the name."

She paused, and gave a nod to each conversationalist. "Hello Martha, and..." She furrowed her brow shooting an apologetic look to Truce and hoping he'd understand what she said next, "I forgot your name, sorry."