At 04:47 PM 26/11/2006 -0800, you wrote:
>I think the question comes into play because a
common
>theme in noir is the inevitable doom of
the
>protagonist. If "social reform" is suggested as
a
>solution, the doom is not so inevitable.
The
>ambiguity is worth noting, and even noir writers
can't
>seem to figure out what they are saying. Sallis,
in
>his nonfiction book about three noir writers,
declares
>the doom of the protagonist on one page and his
hope
>for salvation through "social reform" on another.
Let
>them eat cake. And have it, too.
Transcendence is impossible, but that does not make it any
less appealing. That is another view of the central human
dilemma.
But political reform does not necessarily bring about
transcendence, any more than accepting the notion of the
impossibility of transcendence negates the worthiness of
political struggle. Status and wealth can and do change at
the drop of a hat.
Best, Kerry
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