[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: The Wave



> .....stories (really stripped down definition here) should represent
> some event that causes a change. He's left off the bit here about how
> the wave has changed things.

Right.  Technically a short story should have character, setting, conflict,
and resolution.  "The Wave" lacks a proper resolution.  And the other el-
ments of the story aren't exactly super-developed (!), either.

Right. I can give up the character, setting and conflict part, but I do think there has to be a resolution in order for it to be a proper story. Otherwise, it's a commentary, a character study, a vignette, etc. This one's got no resolution, so I'm expecting it to continue. ;)



> There's nowhere in either one of these pieces where Pete comes right out
> and says anything like "Get your life in order!" or "Stop acting like an
> idiot!"

We're arguing semantics now. Of course there aren't messages as such, like
the examples you presented. But how could one say that TOMMY doesn't con-
tain messages about idol-worship, or spiritual searching, or family rela-
tionships? And how could one say QUAD doesn't contain messages about youth,
or about loneliness, or about generation gaps, or, again, family relation-
ships?

The messages are there, but they're so ambiguous that interpretation becomes a personal insight. You can't sum the whole thing up with one grand thematic statement, which (as I understand it) is a characteristic of Modernist and Post-modernist art. It's a sort of shotgun approach that splatters images and symbols over the canvas, and lets the viewer/listener/reader try to put the fragments together into a reasonable whole.



> These don't necessarily add to the message, but they do provide some
> extra dimension that anchors the story in the real world.

I disagree. I think both pieces *do* provide direct messages. And meaning.
Isn't that what art is all about. People create works of art that *say
something.* It's a form of deep, esoteric communication.

Notice that people tend to say about QUAD that they were glad to find someone who understood their feelings as a adolescent, but nobody can say that Pete directed their life in any real direction. That's because he was "careful not to preach." It's only artistic commentary, and not a blueprint for what to do.



The messages one mines from TOMMY or QUAD might not be the exact ones Pete
intended, but that doesn't matter.  What matters is that the listener culls
information, opinion, & clearer meaning from the piece, & is then able to
apply these new stimuli to his or her own way of thinking.  Pete may not
provide the actual "house of meaning" for the listener, but, through his
art, he does provide the transportation that takes us there.

Apply to what end? QUAD is a cry for help, as far as I can tell. It's grounded by the a sort of nasty political commentary that makes it distinctly Pete's, but this doesn't provide any clues for application, either. One interesting result is that devoted fans seem to look beyond the art to Pete as a role model. I believe we've recently discussed this from different directions, as to whether it's justified, or a burden to Pete, etc. Regardless, we have to admit that he's a survivor. ;)



keets


_________________________________________________________________
The new MSN 8: smart spam protection and 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail