It was the reference to "prosperity fences" with regard to the SV houses that first reminded me of Poe's story and its Prince Prospero. But interest- ingly enough, it seems that there may even be a SV-like reference in Poe's story itself (from an Internet study guide):
Poe may have drawn upon the works of Giovanni Boccaccio (1313-1375) and William Shakespeare (1564-1616) for inspiration in writing "The Masque of the Red Death." Specifically, Poe appears to have imitated the frame- tale in Boccaccio's masterpiece, The Decameron, and borrowed elements from at least one Shakespeare play, The Tempest, and possibly another, As You Like It. In The Decameron, seven men and three women withdraw to the countryside to escape a plague outbreak in Florence. To bide their time, they tell stories, sing, and dance. In The Tempest, the main character is Prospero, ruler of a magical island. One of his subjects, a beast-like man named Caliban, curses Prospero, saying he hopes he dies of "red plague." In As You Like It, the character Jaques (spelled without a c) recites a speech describing "the seven ages of man"–that is, the stages of life from infancy to old age. It has been suggested that the seven rooms in Poe's story represent the seven stages of life outlined by Shakespeare. The first room would represent infancy, and fittingly Poe locates it in the easternmost part of the imperial suite. (The east is a primordial archetype associated with the rising sun and birth.) The last room, the seventh, would represent old age and death, and Poe locates it in the westernmost part of the imperial suite. (The west is a primordial arche- type associated with the setting sun, old age, and death.) I just think it's a neat story, one that has a lot to say about some aspects of the reclusive or monastic lifestyle. I've used it (and Hesse's "Magister Ludi") for years in talks about the potential pitfalls of the spiritual lifestyle. Others may read the story and see no parallels whatsoever to spiritual communities that seem to close themselves off from the world. I do. Call me an old populist, but in my book building fences between yourself and the world -- no matter what the supposedly laudable reasons for doing so may be -- is still building fences between yourself and the world. Those folks' call, of course, but being an old populist, I'm of the view that the world has much to teach. To those who feel that they have still might have things to learn, that is. --- In [email protected], TurquoiseB <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In [email protected], "authfriend" <jstein@> wrote: > > > > --- In [email protected], TurquoiseB <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > > > --- In [email protected], "Patrick Gillam" <jpgillam@> wrote: > > > > > > > > In skimming the newsletter, I saw reference to > > > > the fences around the "fortune-creating" > > > > homes. The vastuu fences reminded me of > > > > something in a book I just finished, *The Ladies' > > > > No. 1 Detective Agency." Apparently, in Botswana, > > > > it's customary for a home to have a knee-high > > > > fence around it. When visitors approach the home, > > > > they stop at the fence and hail the inhabitants, > > > > rather than walk up to the door and knock. I > > > > detected a similarity between this African fencing > > > > custom and the vastuu fences of Sthapatya-vedic homes. > > > > > > ...the Prince Prospero was happy and dauntless and > > > sagacious. When his dominions were half depopulated, > > > he summoned to his presence a thousand hale and light- > > > hearted friends from among the knights and dames of > > > his court, and with these retired to the deep > > > seclusion of one of his castellated abbeys. This was > > > an extensive and magnificent structure, the creation > > > of the prince's own eccentric yet august taste. A > > > strong and lofty wall girdled it in. This wall had > > > gates of iron. The courtiers, having entered, brought > > > furnaces and massy hammers and welded the bolts. They > > > resolved to leave means neither of ingress or egress > > > to the sudden impulses of despair or of frenzy from > > > within. The abbey was amply provisioned. With such > > > precautions the courtiers might bid defiance to > > > contagion. The external world could take care of > > > itself. In the meantime it was folly to grieve, or > > > to think. The prince had provided all the appliances > > > of pleasure. There were buffoons, there were > > > improvisatori, there were ballet-dancers, there > > > were musicians, there was Beauty, there was wine. > > > All these and security were within. Without was > > > the "Red Death." > > > > > > -- from "The Masque of the Red Death," by Edgar Allen Poe > > > > Gosh, that would be devastating, Barry, if > > it weren't for the fact that the fences in > > question are either picket fences about three > > feet high, or posts spaced at intervals with > > only a bar connecting them at the top, and a > > gap in the fence in front of the house's > > entrance that doesn't even have a gate to > > close it. > > > > Oopsie! > > Obviously, Judy is as familiar with Edgar Allen Poe > as do.rflex was not long ago with William Makepeace > Thackeray. :-) > > I posted the quote because of the parallels to the > mentality of people who deal with the problems of > the world by hiding in their houses -- however high > the fences around them, or whether there even *are* > fences. The mentality of hiding from the world to > ensure one's own "prosperity" is what I had in mind. > > That, and what *happened* to Prince Prospero and his > "special" followers, safe within their "safe haven," > at the end of Poe's story. > > I think we all understand by now that Judy prefers to > comment on a story or film without ever reading the > book or seeing the film. But if *you* would actually > like to read Poe's story in its entirety to see if > you might see parallels in it to Maharishi hiding in > his room for a decade and communities of TMers hiding > in their SV neighborhoods, you may do so, for free, at: > > http://www.online-literature.com/poe/36/ > > The Poe story is only 2435 words long. Judy will > probably write an outraged reply to this post almost > as long. > > You can then choose which you prefer to read -- one > of the world's great authors commenting on the men- > tality of those who create "special communities" for > themselves that are open only to those who share > their beliefs and who follow the rules that the > "special communities" impose upon them, or you can > read her words justifying that mentality. Your call.
