Posted by Ashley on 11/5/2009, 7:35 pm, in reply to "Re: Vilette"
137.52.179.26
I'd like to comment about what is being discussed here, if I may.
Jim, I fully agree with your comments. There is no such thing as perfection, even in love. Just loving, that is the perfect thing. Recently I read something that states that people are as happy as they make themselves to be (was it Mark Twain...?)
But, your last comment: Did you mean that you don't think we should leave this World in a better state that we found it, and should just attend to our more comfortable tendencies? I know I can not change this World, but, when I leave, I hope I have changed the lives of those I have come in contact with in this Earthly plane, and made a happy difference in thier lives.
Yes, we have to be selfish at times, otherwise we lose our own identities. And, we need to comfort ourselves often, so we can remain gentle to ourselves and others. But, to me, life is an adventure which cannot be duplicated, and there is only a certain amount of precious time to devote to us, the World, and those we love deeply. The sooner we know what we want to pursue and who gives us that love we've dreamed of, the better in the long run. It would be a better way for things to pan out 
--Previous Message--
: As long as they think they are happy, I guess
: that's what counts. Complete and utter
: contentment is a hard thing to find . . .
: Perhaps people are happier if they can be
: satisfied watching TV every night and not
: worrying about trying to change the world.
:
: --Previous Message--
:
: Nice write up on this work, thank you. It
: makes me want to read it now. Very true
: about how unfair life can turn out for those
: who put so much effort, faith and kindness
: for others, especially those in need, in
: this life. Somehow, though, I feel those
: selfish ones who seem to be surrounded by
: love and blessings, might not even know what
: happiness is, thus not enjoy it, or truly
: appreciate what those blessings represent.
: Topic for debate...
:
: --Previous Message--
: I mentioned in a post about a month ago that
: I
: had read Bronte's VILETTE and would post
: about it here. Here goes . . .
:
: VILETTE is the story of Lucy Snowe, a lonely
: orphan who leaves her British land to embark
: on a new life in a fictitious country.
: There, she becomes a teacher at a school for
: girls.
:
: Intensely lonely, she finds herself
: surrounded by a cast of unusual
: characters--a headmistress who spends nights
: searching through the belongings of her
: teachers and pupils, a strong-tempered
: teacher who is staunchly Catholic and
: nationalistic, a kind doctor who befriends
: her, and a self-centered pretty girl who
: bedazzles and flirts with men she has no
: interest in.
:
: The story takes a little bit of time getting
: underway (though I may have been more
: engrossed if I had realized the children
: early in the story reappear later--which I
: would have gotten had I not dragged out
: reading the first half for so long). When
: you get into it, though it has its slow
: moments, there is some magic in VILETTE, and
: there are 5 pages which I call PERFECTION,
: the perfect culmination of character and
: storytelling.
:
: It's an interesting read because Bronte
: holds on tenaciously to her faith
: throughout, though she struggles with the
: big picture questions which must have dogged
: her after the death of her final three
: siblings (VILETTE was the book published
: after their deaths)--why do some people who
: are selfish and greedy always find
: themselves with blessing and surrounded by
: love, while others, who are good and
: selfless, find themselves alone and in need.
: She contemplates the nature of beauty and
: the role it plays in society, particularly
: for those who are lacking.
:
: More so than JANE EYRE or SHIRLEY, VILETTE
: is intensely personal; Bronte's heart seeps
: through the pages. I found myself taking
: notes throughout, which is something I don't
: normally do.
:
: "But don't take my word for it!"
:
:
:
:
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