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CHAPTER XXIII--BJERKELY

I. THIS CHAPTER BEGINS WITH HILDE AS CHARACTER IN 'REAL LIFE' AND NOT SOMEONE OF "FICTION" IN SOPHIE’S "WORLD" , BUT...

II. FRIDAY, JUNE 15, 1975 IS HER BIRTHDAY, AS IS SOPHIE’S.

III. HILDE’S FATHER’S NAME IS ALBERT KNAG

IV. SHE OPENED A LARGE PACKAGE ON HER NIGHT TABLE; IT CONTAINED A BOOK:
SOPHIE’S WORLD

LET'S TAKE A PHILOSOPHICAL

INVENTORY...

  • WHERE ARE WE?
  • WHAT IS REALITY?
  • HAVE WE BEEN PREPARED FOR THIS MOMENT?
  • HAS THE 'HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY' HELPED WITH WHAT IS DRAMATIZED IN THIS CHAPTER?

V. WHAT IS REALITY:

A. CORRELATE WITH THE NIGHT FACE UP--a short story by JULIO CORTAZAR

B. WE HAVE BEEN READING ABOUT SOPHIE AND NOW WE DISCOVER SHE IS A FICTITIOUS CHILD IN A BOOK ABOUT THE HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY WRITTEN TO / FOR HER BY HER FATHER WHO IS A UN OBSERVER IN LEBANON

VII. THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS EXCERPTS FROM THE BEGINNING OF SOPHIE’S WORLD, CHAPTER ONE

A. HILDE NOW READS OF THE POSTCARDS THAT CONFUSED SOPHIE REGARDING WHO HILDE WAS IN THE FIRST PLACE

B. HILDE’S FATHER HAD WRITTEN A LETTER SUGGESTING THAT PHILOSOPHY BE TAUGHT
IN HIGH SCHOOL

VII. HOW DID THE RED SCARF OF HILDE GOT INTO THE NOVEL?

VIII. HILDE READS THE CHAPTER ABOUT THE CABIN, THE MIRROR AND THE BERKELEY ; BJERKELY CONFUSION.

A. THIS CHAPTER QUOTES EXCERPTS FROM THE PHILOSOPHERS SOPHIE HAD STUDIED THAT HAVE RELEVANCE IN HELPING HILDE UNDERSTAND THE TWO REALITIES...

1. WHAT DID THE GREEK PRE-SOCRATICS ATTEMPT?

2. WAS SOPHIE IN ATHENS?

3. WHY IS BERKELEY SO IMPORTANT?-is he a rationalist or empiricist (careful)?

4. WHY IS ARISTOTLE'S CRITIQUE OF PLATO IMPORTANT?--recall the laws of causality.

5. PLOTINUS' (NEO-PLATONIC / HELLENISM)--IDEA OF EMANATIONISM IMPLIES..?

6. WHAT PHILOSOPHERS INVESTIGATED DREAMS?--see also Hamlet.

B. WHAT IS THE DIVINE MYSTERY BEHIND THE EXISTENCE OF SOPHIE FOR HILDE AND HILDE FOR SOPHIE???

IX. HILDE CONCLUDES THAT SOPHIE REALLY EXISTS

A. DOES SHE?

B. THE MIRROR?

C. THE CROSS AND CHAIN

SUPPLEMENTARY READINGS

REVIEW THE PREVIOUS CHAPTERS TO CORRELATE THEIR CONTENT WITH THE HILDE / SOPHIE DIALECTIC DRAMATIZED HERE. YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO SEE HOW THE DRAMA HAS BEEN ACTUALIZED BY THE PHILOSOPHY.

READ THE NIGHT FACE UP.

REVIEW THE NOTES ON POINT OF VIEW--CORRELATE LITERARY TECHNIQUE WITH OUR PHILOSOPHICAL QUEST.

REVIEW DREAM PSYCHOLOGY and DO A SEARCH OF SHAKESPEARE FOR HIS USE OF DREAMING IMAGERY.