I Think; Therefore I am.....Observing
Ali Valenzuela
Moon in the Afternoon
Fine Arts Studio
Brittany Campbell
March 27, 2020
Moon in the Afternoon
Fine Arts Studio
Brittany Campbell
March 27, 2020
Mr. Palomar's name comes from the name of the Palomar observer. Mr. Palomar is a natural observer who looks at the world through multiple perspectives. It is almost like he is rendering the world in his own way. He is taking in his observations of the world around him and pushes the idea of its existence in various in depth analyses. He is stripping the layers of the world to reveal what it truly underneath.
In the story "Moon in the Afternoon" the line, "Nobody looks at the moon in the afternoon, and this is the moment when it would most require our attention, since its existence is still in doubt" (Calvino, 35) assumes that without observing the moon at the time that we overlook it then it surely does not exist without our attention. We do not need an observer to reassure us that we are always existing. I say "we" and "us" because I also believe that this may be a reflection of ourselves. I think the whole point of this short story is to invite the observation in, to be able to have some sort of self-discovery with the world and to to be able to reflect on our own observations and discoveries.
He was very much an observer of things people overlook and dont enjoy when they are right in front of us. I think u are correct when u say he is telling us to self discover and observe the world with different eyes.
ReplyDeleteMaybe, in a way, Mr. Palomar is simply a personification of the scientific spirit. Not the scientific spirit in some highfalutin sense, but in the simple sense of a drive that makes us want to simply know what is. Like, what is behind a curtain? What is around the corner? Not even how to do something or why something is what it is, but just wondering what is and what isn't. Mr. Palomar just wants to know what the moon is, in a sense.
ReplyDeleteI like your explanation of how Mr. Palomar is and this statement, "we do not need an observer to reassure us that we are always existing." That's 👌👌. I feel like when you depend so much on other people you will loose sight of yourself. We have to reflect on our own observations. And sometimes I feel like it's so easy to point fingers in other peoples lives that we forget our own. So that self discovery is very important.
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