Firstly let us establish that the passerby is a kind of hermaphrodite in that the theoretical passerby contains the sexual organs of both genders. When the passerby leaves the shadow world of the theoretical and enters the dimension of the actual, the decision is made in the interests of all to become exclusively male or female and to conceal if not end this hermaphroditical nature. The role of this passerby, having passed from the world of the shadows to the world of the living, is simple; he or she passes by. In literature, which exists in the dimension of language, this could be rendered as follows:
"John sat on a dismal bench opposite the graceless car-park. All three (John, the bench & the car-park) had seen better days and this wasn't one of them. He lit a cigarette in a futile attempt to lend some pleasure to his broken existence. After inhaling however, he let out a groan and clenched his crooked tobacco stained teeth. It felt as though a malevolent spirit was twisting his innards with a pliers, and the sensation was deeply unpleasant.
A passerby passed by. John, immersed in physical and spirtual pain, failed to notice."
In the filmic art, the above could be rendered visually with the option of representing the imagined or perhaps even real malevolent spirit by means of computer generated special-effects.
For reasons that I hope are now obvious it should be understood that the passerby is an important tool in the lending of an air of authenticity to the work of the artist, and should not be underestimated.
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15 comments:
I've worked as a passerby on a number of work of fiction over the years and have often felt frustrated at the way we have been ignored by members of the gneral public and literary critics alike. Thank you for acknowledging the important work we do. Keep up the good work.
Well, he could just kick out at a dog, but I take your point. You should check out David Mamet's 'The Spanish Prisoner' where the passersby are the twist in the tale.
I was unaware of your good work in this sadly ignored discipline, Gearoid. Glad to have helped redress the balance.
I like the idea of the passerby becoming more integral to the story, Chip, but I hope this doesn't mean the passerby didn't actually pass by but was stopped before doing so by a main character.
Hi, Andrew.
Hey, Andrew -- I thought hermaphrodites were *both* sexes, not "either/or."
Yes I found that confusing too Susan..
Hi Bryan and Susan. Good to see you both. Onto the serious disputed issue of the hermaphrodite- I did stress "kind of hermaphrodite", Susan,(and I've got the post to prove it) as in the passerby may be of either gender unlike, for instance, a policeman who must, by definition be a man, just as a policewoman must be a woman. Though I admit the stress must be put on "kind of". I'm beginning to regret this blog- I don't go along with this "The reader is always right" notion that is the enemy of true art.
No, if I remember it correctly, the fact they are passersby is vital to the story; their insignificance of great significant to the story.
Congratulations, Andrew. I will drop in as often has I can. Just passing now on my way to bed. By the way, what do you bloggers do all day? You can't possibly have proper jobs and small children. Unless, of course, you have small jobs and proper children. Anyway, good luck with this.
Let's just say the reader is "kind of" right and leave it at that then.
Good to see you, Neil, or at least to see the words that you enter into this blog. Afraid I'm in a rush at moment so....
Though to add for reasons too tedious to go into, I am kind of on a breal from work at moment.
break
"Though to add for reasons too tedious to go into, I am kind of on a breal from work at moment."
ah, you were sacked for frotting a MILF at work, in full view of everyone. Easily done. They had to drag you off her as you screamed "i'll be quick! Just give me two minutes! you won't even notice i was here!" Been there.
Exactly right, El. An all too common tale as you are obviously aware.
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