Christopher Hitchens: Charles Dickens’s Inner Child | Culture | Vanity Fair

What I have been dreading for months, has finally occurred.   The last article of  Christopher Hitchens appeared in print.   Actually, it was published a few weeks after his death.    
The topic was not about himself.  He did not try to leave one last mark fortifying his fervent  anti-religious beliefs.  Instead, he chose the topic of one of his favorite authors, Charles Dickens.   
     For fans of Hitchens and Dickens, this final article is a bit of a present in and of itself.  For me, it was an emotional read.  Partly because in reading it,  the realization seeped in that  Hitchens spent some of his last hours that he lived, writing the piece.     Maybe he was making a statement?  That the enjoyment he had gotten from reading Dickens was treasured?   Surely an author's last printed words would be something they held dear.   It  made reading  it bitter sweet.

Christopher Hitchens

Here is the  link to the article.  In truly Hitchens style, he did not sugarcoat the author but described him as he honestly saw him.
     The book David Copperfield by Dickens is my favorite book.  It has been ever since I first read it many years ago.       
    The opening line of the book is:   
"Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show."   

     What a nice line to think about.
     It is a semi-autobiographical story of a boy's personal struggle to become an individual he can be proud to be--the hero of his own life. What could be more appealing, especially if it comes to pass?
    David Copperfield is one of the books of my life.  You know, one of the handful of books that leave their mark for all the rest of your years.  Dickens genius is in the details, in which he so cleverly endears you to the characters.  I am proud to be, as Hitchens states in his article, "one of those who study Charles Dickens, or who keep up the great cult of his admiration." 

Monday, October 1, 2012

We have had our house resided and painted this September, so I have had the camera out and about.  I shot  these photos of our yard and surrounding views in about 15 minutes.  I had some very photogenic and cooperative characters to snap pictures of...

Lovely Jane

Curious Myrtle

Dear Fern

Friendly CeCe

Elusive Jemima

Young Rooster, Dominick, testing out his new cock-a doodle-do.  

the neighbors' horses

Bossy Gabby

tooooooo many ducks

Mr. Pockets

 and finally, you always know where to find these girls. Free PS Vita Games They have been sitting on their eggs for weeks on end, with no baby chicks in site.  They are patient beyond belief!

Scratch & Sniff - our broody, broody hens...

Controversial Matters

 Thomas Hardy once described himself as a poet “who holds that if way to the Better there be, it exacts a full look at the Worst”.  
  He was highly critical of much in Victorian Society and tackled such controversial topics as aristocracy and lower class, religious view vs. agnostic argument and the horrors of war.  An example of the latter, and a particular favorite of mine, is below.  

"Had he and I but met

            By some old ancient inn,

We should have sat us down to wet

            Right many a nipperkin!

 But ranged as infantry,
     and staring face to face,
I shot at him as he at me,

     And killed him in his place.

 I shot him dead because —

         Because he was my foe,

Just so: my foe of course he was;

      That's clear enough; although

 "He thought he'd 'list, perhaps,

            Off-hand like — just as I —

Was out of work — had sold his traps —

            No other reason why.

   "Yes; quaint and curious war is!

            You shoot a fellow down

You'd treat if met where any bar is,

            Or help to half-a-crown."

  His two most controversial books were  Tess of the D'urbervilles and 
Jude the Obscure.   In these, he tackled head on, the difficult subjects of  education for only the upper class and a woman's virginity.    T. H's  books were burned in public squares and his name vilified.   After that, he stated that he would never pen another novel - which, much to the world's loss, he never did.    

  Which brings me to the all important question, "What is an author's responsibility,  as far as his/her belief system is concerned?"  
What is a human being's?   How much of a person's  opinion and hard-won core belief,  should he or she divulge?  
   When should a person remain silent and when should they speak up?