"It is a kind of biblical scene, something about Babylon, a kind of prophecy from the Apocalypse fulfilled before your very eyes. You feel that it would require a great deal of eternal spiritual resistance and denial not to succumb, not to surrender to the impression, not to bow down to to fact, and not to idolize Baal, that is, not to accept what is your ideal..."
I love the way he connect biblical scenes to society. A kind of god is the society for many people- and has been for so many centuries. Everyone bows down to mainstream society, and who does not is an "outcast". And yet, "Babylon" is very attractive, eye-catching... it is a sort of magnet to the needy and empty. Wonderful connection, such a treat! Just like the Great Inquisition.
"Fact weights heavily; the masses grow numb and wonder about like zombies of if skepticism arises, dismally and with a curse they seek salvation in something like Mormonism."
I thought that was rather funny, especially coming from Dostoevsky.
"And they themselves know this and meanwhile avenge themselves against society as some kind of underground Mormons, Shakers, wanderers... We are surprised at the stupidity of going over the Shakers and becoming wanderers; we do not even suspect there is a secession from our social formulas; a stubborn, unconscious secession; an instinctive secession, no matter what the cost, for the sake of salvation; a secession from us made with disgust and horror. These millions of people, abandoned and driven away from the human feast, shoving and crushing each other in the underground darkness into which they have been thrown by their older brothers, gropingly knock at any gate whatsoever and seek entrance so they won't suffocate in the dark cellar. It is a final, desperate attempt to form their own group, their own crowd, and to separate themselves from everything, even from the human image, if only to be something of their own, if only to avoid being with us..."
Maybe this is an allusion to the biblical story of Joseph. That society, the "older brothers" throw out the ones who are different. But the ones thrown out, do the exact opposite of Joseph, they are scared and desperate to get out. So they seek something that looks like salvation, even though it may not be. They do not seek God, but just a way out of their "dark cellar"- anything that separates them from "us". It also reminds me of the "gnashing of teeth" prediction of the Judgment Day. How the ones thrown out of the wedding feast (human feast)bang on the entrance to be let in. I wonder, if they had not been rejected in the first place, would they still be so desperate to "separate...from us"? Would their conviction still be the same, or would they go on and drink the wine, enjoy the feast? Is it just an act of desperation, this seeking of salvation?
"Convinced to the point of stupefaction, these professors of religion have their own form of amusement missionary work. They go all over the earth, penetrate into the depths of Africa, to convert a single savage and forget about the millions of savages in London who have nothing to pay them."
Oh, the irony! Goodness. And even today, the same thing is happening. Take care of the "log in your own eye" first.
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This was a very entertaining book. Except his diary, this is the closest book that I would think his feelings are clearly to be seen. Very interesting man! I would love to travel to the exact places he went to, just for the sake of possibly seeing the same things he had seen. I wonder if my "impressions" would resemble his. Of course, that is a little obsessive...
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