#192- The Smallest Woman in the World- Clarice Lispector
It is part of human nature to be self centered--not selfish
necessarily, in a malicious way, buts self centered in an instinct to survive
type of way. When something abnormal or new appears, we always, instinctually
put in in perspective of how it effects us, or how it would be in our own
world. Thus when French explorer Marcel Pretre discovered the world smallest
human in the deep jungles of Africa, the picture printed in the paper set off
many reactions.
Some thought is creepy, some thought of the delicate nature
of life: “She considered the cruel necessity of loving. And she considered the
malignity of our desire for happiness. She considered how ferociously we play.
How many timed we kill for love."
Some barely lifted their heads from the paper and thought:
“I bet if she lived here it would end in a fight…in this house everything ends
in a fight.”
Back in the jungle the smallest human had her own
self-centered thoughts, albeit understandably so: “She was laughing, warm,
warm—Little Flower was enjoying life. The rare thing herself was experiencing
the ineffable sensation of not having been eaten yet.”
Humanity however is all consuming and eventually we gorge on
that which is unique and different.
No comments:
Post a Comment