Conversations: Susan and Death (Hogfathers)

[Kaplok Kaplok]

This an excerpt from Terry Pratchet's novel Hogfather

CONTEXT
Hogfather is a diety in the book. Best way to describe is a mashup of God and santa clause. The text in all capitals are Death's line, like the grim-reaper.

All right," said Susan. "I'm not stupid. You're saying humans need... fantasies to make life bearable."

REALLY? AS IF IT WAS SOME KIND OF PINK PILL? NO. HUMANS NEED FANTASY TO BE HUMAN. TO BE THE PLACE WHERE THE FALLING ANGEL MEETS THE RISING APE.

"Tooth fairies? Hogfathers? Little—"

YES. AS PRACTICE. YOU HAVE TO START OUT LEARNING TO BELIEVE THE LITTLE LIES.

"So we can believe the big ones?"

YES. JUSTICE. MERCY. DUTY. THAT SORT OF THING.

"They're not the same at all!"

YOU THINK SO? THEN TAKE THE UNIVERSE AND GRIND IT DOWN TO THE FINEST POWDER AND SIEVE IT THROUGH THE FINEST SIEVE AND THEN SHOW ME ONE ATOM OF JUSTICE, ONE MOLECULE OF MERCY. AND YET—Death waved a hand. AND YET YOU ACT AS IF THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME...SOME RIGHTNESS IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED.

"Yes, but people have got to believe that, or what's the point—"

MY POINT EXACTLY.

Thank you for reading.

 

[boysbe]

Ipopost ko lang toh para malipat na ko mula enthusiast. =)

kidding aside, yup di ko pa nabasa ung book but it does give a compeling argument. People need fantasies in order to make life bearable. Love, justice, friendship, heaven, hell, all of them have the same concept and people need them. If we lose out fantasies life becomes dull and unbearable. Boring nga naman na ang shortcut sa buhay eh maging cosmic nihilist.
Well, whatever floats your boat I suppose. Atheist? good, Religious fanatic? Ok. Extremist? Right? Liberalist? In the end, death is the only event that matters. It doesn't take sides, it breaks them all. I don't believe in anything and I practice a very hedonistic lifestyle but I don't have any regrets. However, I think that it's sometimes better to believe in something than to be someone who doesn't have anything to believe in.

By the way, been reading some of your posts, quite interesting, keep em coming.