April 20, 2011

Read a short story by Vonnegut yesterday, "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow," and he just nailed what I believe is likely, in fact already happening today. His story was written in 1953 and set a century later, 2058. Vonnegut always did have a strong streak of science fiction in him, although the artist won in most writings. This story predicts the friction between generations, as the older ones live longer and deny opportunity and resources from the younger . V couches it all in terrific dark humor. Amazing how he foresaw the Achilles heel of social security and medicare: increasing human longevity, and on a broader scope, how human morality and ethics are not keeping pace with science. And I love the allusion of his title, taken obviously from "Macbeth," roughly:

Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow creep by in this petty face from day to day, 'til all our yesterdays light fools the way to dusty death. Out, out brief candle. Life is but a walking shadow, a poor player who struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more. It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

Omg, a walking shadow who struts and frets. Remind you of anybody? I would call Shakespeare the principal avatar of literature. I'm going to reread his canon from an advaitan standpoint. I remember that "King Lear" made much ado about "nothing" and other metaphysical musings. Could be a goldmine.