First class weekend

Yesterday was the first night of my last class. It's about J.R.R. Tolkien, the author of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings (and the Silmariliion, I never read that one). Yesterday's and today's class was spent discussing his background, and the things that made him tick (in a literary sense). The professor is a philosphy professor with a lifelong interest in Tolkien, and he is very knowledgeable about not only the books but also the man. He talks for about 45 minutes, then gives us a 15 minute break. At first I thought that was annoying, as I'd rather get out earlier than take so many breaks. After a while, I started appreciating it, as it gave me a chance to stretch my legs. It also made the class go by quicker, although that could be the subject matter.

Today's session dealt a lot with primary and secondary worlds, and secondary belief. Tolkien thought of the real world as the primary world, and all fiction (even mysteries and other stories that could conceivably happen in the real world) takes place in a secondary world. If the author is good, the reader develops a secondary belief, where he or she believes that the story is true in that secondary world. The same can apply for movies. If there is disbelief, where you think "Oh, this is ridiculous, that would never happen, I can't be bothered with this" or suspended disbelief "I know that's not true, but I'll let it go because it's only a story", then the author has not properly done his or her job.

The idea of secondary belief explains why some books or movies stand out. When I read Stephen King's Dark Tower series, or China Mieville's Perdido Street Station, or even The Hobbit, I am completely sucked into the story and believe that what happens in those stories is absolutely true for that world. And it's not just because they literally take place in another world. Tom Wolfe's I Am Charlotte Simmons is an example that takes place in 21st century America, and you completely believe that everything that happens is true in that world.

Class was scheduled to go until 6 today, but at 2:30 he stopped lecturing and gave us our first exam. This consisted of picking two out of four essay questions and answering them. No specific length, just answer them as completely as you can. So I was home by 3:30, and therefore have a little more weekend than I had originally planned. Not sure what's on tap for the rest of the night, hopefully a martini (or two). If Mike's not "movied out" we'll probably watch one of our recent (or not so recent) acquisitions.