Epiphany in Action

Amazing. While working through my paper I have been revisiting To the Lighthouse and have found something that I think may be so interesting I just might have to reread the novel sooner rather then later.

When Lily struggles with her painting she turns to a remembered or imagined conversation between herself and Mr. Charmichael. When I realized this a quote leapt off the page at me.

"What does it mean? How do you explain it all?" she wanted to say, turning to Mr. Carmichael again. For the whole world seemed to have dissolved in this early morning hour into a pool of thought, a deep basin of reality, and one could almost fancy that had mr. Carmichael spoken, for instance, a little tear would have rent the surface pool. And then? Something would emerge. A hand would be shoved up, a blade would be flashed. (179)

Not only does this quote remind me of Arjuna's vision of Krishna's totality as "the whole world seemed to have dissolved" but Mr. Carmichael also is portrayed as the creator of epiphany as his words cause something to emerge from the pool (Just as in Burnt Norton). All of this made me realize the following equation.

Mr. Carmichael=Krishna=Ghost=Virgil=Poet=Sanjaya=Horatio

All of these people are one and the same. They are the guides. Guides are an archtype. The guide is a poet. While the journey down the path of Sacred Duty is ultimately personal, it always helps to have a guide, a seer, or a poet. The journey of Self discovery is a group endeavor, which pretty much slaps humanism across the face. Man is only as powerful as his support group.

Then a little further down the page in Lighthouse was the following.

He was an inscrutable old man, with the yellow stain on his beard, and his poetry, and his puzzles, sailing serenely through a world which satisfied all his wants, so that she though he had only to put down his hand where he lay on the lawn to fish up anything he wanted. (179)

Carmichael the poet becomes Carmichael the God and if I were to guess, Mr. Carmichael's first name is Jim, James, John, or perhaps Jesus giving him the ever popular set of initials, J. C. the fisher of men. Which of course adds a bit to my equality equation above.

Mr. Carmichael=Krishna=Ghost=Virgil=Poet=Sanjaya=Horatio=God=Jesus Christ

All poets, all guides, all critical to Self realization and the fulfillment of Sacred Duty.