I normally refrain from using this term. But, after a little discusion on it in the last post, I looked it up.
Here's the definition:
Idiot- An offensive term for somebody who has a psychiatric disorder or a learning problem but who is exceptionally gifted in one particular area, for example, rapid mental calculation, architectural drawing, or remembering facts.
I don't know much about Hemmingway. I never liked anything he wrote, and I know he had some issues. So, I don't know if the term applies or not.
Some people say he is "exceptionally gifted." I wonder if, like beauty, talent is in the eye of the beholder?
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I do think that talent is in the eye of the beholder.
Whereas God sees all our gifts and appreciates them, what we percieve as talent is only what impresses or appeals to ourselves.
I think Hemingway's "The Old Man and the Sea" is a brilliant literary work that maybe in a way illustrates the struggle of his own life between himself and God, and the way he believed men to look upon him. I think that many of the conflicts portrayed in this literary work are ones that we deal with daily. Not many of us have the 'talent' to be able to commit those struggles on paper in such a compelling way.
While we see someone who made a mess of his own life and even might be considered to have some 'psychiatric disorder', God sees a man created with many good gifts, who became lost in his own sin and lack of knowledge of his creator. To man, an idiot; to God, another lost soul wandering out to sea in hopes of fulfilling his idea of happiness and acceptance in the eyes of men.
Thanks for that, Dave. You've obviously given much more thought to this man than I have. I read "The Old Man and the Sea" in... 8th grade? I found it hard to read. Definitely a struggle with something. Like I say, I haven't studied him much. I don't know if he ever made peace with God or not. Hopefully, he did.
Also... the gift and callings of God are without repentance. In other words... God gives you a gift. He doesn't take it away if you use it the wrong way.
I've never read it. What's it about???
Nack
The Old man and the sea is about two characters - one the old man and the other is a young boy who goes out and fishes with the old man. One day the old man goes out alone, beyond the normal range of the village's fishing boats and into deep water, in search of a great fish which he can bring home and sell and live more comfortably. When he does catch the fish, it is much larger than the old man or his boat, and he must use every trick of the trade he knows before he finally is able to reel the fish in. However, he still has to manage to bring this large fish home and to do so he must fight off sharks, fatigue, weather, and other circumstances.
I found it to be a very good read. There is much to be learned about the human nature, and it's entwined into a good story as well, of one old man's battle with the sea.
Oh and the other side of the story is about the young boy whose living is also with the old man and who worries each day the old man does not return.
Hemingway does an excellent job building his characters and making them come alive.
what was I thinking? i can't believe I titled a post "idiots"
If anyone is curious... this is not a word I normally use.
wow!!! 3 posts from David in one day!! I'm impressed, we shall have to think of other things of interest to post...
It's funny how words don'ot turn out to mean what you really thought they did. I thought the word in question meant "a dumb person."
The Old Man and the Sea sounds depressing, is it David?
Lydia
you know, when I read it (in 8th grade) I thought it was depressing. Maybe Dave thinks differently.
All I know, is that Hemmingway was a great outdoors man and an alcoholic and well, yes, he did write some books. Now, I must confess, I'm not sure if I've ever read anything by Hemmingway,maybe I did in school, (see what a great impression it made on me) so for the sake of argument we'll say I didn't. I started To Have and Have Not but had to put it down, language or sex or something. What I do know for certain is that I have never been interested in reading something written by a man who, at the end of his life, drank a fifth of Burbon and then shoved a side-by-side double barreled shotgun into his mouth. As to making his peace with God? The evidence seems to state that he went out shaking his fist at Heaven.
Dave is right, God looks at all of us, no matter who we are or what we do in life, the same, excepting, of course, His Medal of Honor recipients: all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
I would not use the word depressing; sad, yes. At the end I don't mind a book that does not end with "happily ever after" because that isn't always realistic.
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