Snowball

Is not Napoleon. Unfortunately, I still have not procured a copy of Singer's essay. This makes what is asked of me rather difficult. However, I went to the opera Nabucco this weekend, and, in the absence of a better replacement, I think I'll write about that.

I have never felt less affected by an opera. The production quality was spectacular, the scenery dazzling, costumes gorgeous, music beautiful, but the difference is that there was almost nothing to connect to. The scale was too epic. Granted, many of the greatest artistic achievements were of an epic scale, Lawrence of Arabia, for instance, but they at least centered on the struggles of one particular character with whom the audience could identify and sympathise with, if they so choose. Nabucco does not focus on the struggle of an identifiable person and is thus an impersonal struggle. I did not cry at the deaths of the characters, nor at their plight, nor at the poignant encore. Fish.

Imagery

1. "The eternal note of sadness"
2. "Heads of the characters hammer through daisies"
3. "A team of white robots descended from the sky like dandelion seeds drifting on the wind in tight military formation"

Small Talk

In England, the small talk is about the weather and everyone's health.

In Scotland, the small talk is about the heather and everyone's wealth.