In this post I'll show you how 'Flowers for Algernon' is structured according to Plato's cave allegory and the divided line in the Republic.
Books
Nearly Lost Interview with Rebecca Goldstein
I thank you for the lovely and thoughtful review of Plato at the Googleplex. I'm under a lot of time pressure right now, but I couldn't avoid answering your thoughtful questions. Please forgive the inadequacy of the too-brief answers. —Sincerely, Rebecca Newberger Goldstein
The Fortnight in September
R.C. Sherriff's 1931 novel, The Fortnight in September, is about a happy family on a pleasant seaside vacation during which nothing really bad happens. Try selling that to a publisher. But when you think about it, it's actually a tantalizing premise. Pretty much all fiction illustrates what happiness isn't. It's much harder to write a … Continue reading The Fortnight in September
Machines Like Me: How did it REALLY End?
Ian McEwan’s first “sci-fi” novel, Machines Like Me, published earlier this year, has not been getting the best reviews, but I found it enjoyable to read. I can’t say it was my favorite of his, but he set the bar pretty high with Atonement and On Chesil Beach. As one member of my book club put it, … Continue reading Machines Like Me: How did it REALLY End?
Language Evolution and Gingerbread
The Great Courses now has streaming, so we've been binge watching lectures as we "learn" Spanish. For me the most entertaining lecture series so far has been the Story of Human Language by John McWhorter. I also like the other course, Myths, Lies, and Half-Truths of Language Usage, although the first is clearer. But here's … Continue reading Language Evolution and Gingerbread
Diotima's Ladder 