Discussion Point 4, Ways and Measures

Originally Posted by Karen 10th August 2006


While on one of his outings away from Happy Days, Antoine remembers that he had once taken a measuring tape "and marked in inches a normal life span eighty years, more or less, from which I subtracted thirty-five years, leaving forty-five still to go. Then, slowly, inch by inch, I rolled up the remaining forty-five years, until all I had left in my hands was a miserable scrap of ribbon as small as a fingernail: When I'll be clinging to life by a single fingernail...."

What did you make of this? Why do you think the author included this? Are there other ways we use to measure our lives?

Deppsdarling


To show us about time passing by?

Do you mean like birthdays and anniversarys?

Captainjacksparrow


Good thought provoking question. I had not thought about this. It was a rather odd description....

As for as measuring life, we measure it by how many accounts we have or by how many friends we have or how successful we are...there are many standards that we set for ourselves that when we achieve them, they become our "milestones"....I will have to think about this one for a while...and get back with you....I take life one day at at time. I just recently got an email about a beautiful field of tulips..that was acre's and acre's ...someone asked how it happened and the one little lady that had planted them all simply replied...I started 40 years ago and planted them one bulb at a time. So I try look at each "bulb" now and try to build off of it to see what I will have in 40 years.

Nurseanne8


I agree with posts about how life is measured by "milestones" we celebrate and really like the analogy to the field of tulips. I feel the author used the tape measure description to illustrate that Antoine's life at 80 would not be any different than it was at age 35 due to the fact he has no purpose or direction-isn't he only "hanging on" now-he is either lazy or afraid of realtionships.

Karen


Good thoughts..this one was a thinker....

Deppsdarling

Do you mean he was afraid of people? Or just didn't want to make an effort to live his life?

Deppraved


I think that passage illustrates how disinterested Antoine is in participating in life and how eager he is to see time pass.

Society has taught us to measure life by milestones, and stages of life, because it helps define who you are and adapt to the changes that take place along the journey.

Nurseanne8


I agree with both the previous posts-I do not think Antoine even has enough motivation or interest to fear people-he is simply waiting, waiting waiting...-reread pages 25-30 about the trip to the park and the references to the animals-and I see this image "Happy Days is the cage and Antoine is in the cage-observing and waiting, waiting..." but for what and why?

Karen

I don't think he feared people, or if he even feared life. I wonder if he feared the involvement of "living?" He was so disinterested in his own children and was relieved when they all moved on to another life without him. He did seem content...with "watching" life go by. Until Mireille came along changed things for a few days.