Nyarlathotep By H. P. Lovecraft
The text is Nyarlathotep by H. P. Lovecraft. Here is how I described it in the discussion forum:
The story is told by an ordinary person about a dramatic change in the world: the arrival of a mysterious, chaotic being in the form of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh referred to as
Nyarlathotep. Nyarlathotep goes from city to city performing shows with unexplainable feats.
Wherever Nyarlathotep goes, all its sleeping citizens have terrible nightmares... When
Nyarlathotep arrives in the narrators town, they go to see the show and brush... the experience off as a clever use of science. That night the people fall into a trance under the moonlight and start marching in line. The narrator is the only one to pause, and as the last person follows the
others …show more content…
What is the author’s view? How do I know?
One could argue that the author’s view is that humans are relatively powerless to greater unseen forces in the world. To be honest, I don’t know, but nobody does. It’s just one way of interpreting the author’s view through his work. Overall I think this is a reasonable interpretation based off of how
Nyarlathotep can so drastically alter people’s lives and civilization as whole seemingly without any strong will or motivation to do so.
3. What is the evidence presented by the author to support ideas?
The evidence presented by the author to support this idea is seen through the influences that
Nyarlathotep has over people. From causing people to unknowingly kneel in the presence of
Nyarlathotep to inducing chaotic visions at the exhibitions, its actions undermine the concept of free will and make human lives appear insignificant in contrast to this divine power. However, nowhere is this more clearly supported than at the end, where people, under the increasing influence of the moon’s green light, are lead blindly to the fate they know is death, all for the whims and pleasures of …show more content…
5. Is the evidence relevant? How do I know?
I think the evidence is relevant in the sense that it functions well as a way to support and convey his ideas to his readers. I think it’s all relevant to emphasizing the situation he is trying to portray, and the meaning behind it.
6. Have I heard/read anything similar or dissimilar? What was it?
The story was reminiscent of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll for me. The story has a similar unexplained magical element to it, where it’s nearly impossible to predict what happens next.
Mixed with that, it also reminded me of many horror stories with it’s dark tone and unhappy ending.
7. Do I agree or disagree with the views expressed by the author? Why?
I disagree with the views expressed by the author. I feel that humans do have a great deal of free will.
Lovecraft (1920) describes the narrators attempt to reject his ‘fate’ as “my power to linger was slight”, but I believe that people have much more choice and power than that. In our world, there is no
Nyarlathotep guiding us down dark paths, it is our own decisions that do
The story is told by an ordinary person about a dramatic change in the world: the arrival of a mysterious, chaotic being in the form of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh referred to as
Nyarlathotep. Nyarlathotep goes from city to city performing shows with unexplainable feats.
Wherever Nyarlathotep goes, all its sleeping citizens have terrible nightmares... When
Nyarlathotep arrives in the narrators town, they go to see the show and brush... the experience off as a clever use of science. That night the people fall into a trance under the moonlight and start marching in line. The narrator is the only one to pause, and as the last person follows the
others …show more content…
What is the author’s view? How do I know?
One could argue that the author’s view is that humans are relatively powerless to greater unseen forces in the world. To be honest, I don’t know, but nobody does. It’s just one way of interpreting the author’s view through his work. Overall I think this is a reasonable interpretation based off of how
Nyarlathotep can so drastically alter people’s lives and civilization as whole seemingly without any strong will or motivation to do so.
3. What is the evidence presented by the author to support ideas?
The evidence presented by the author to support this idea is seen through the influences that
Nyarlathotep has over people. From causing people to unknowingly kneel in the presence of
Nyarlathotep to inducing chaotic visions at the exhibitions, its actions undermine the concept of free will and make human lives appear insignificant in contrast to this divine power. However, nowhere is this more clearly supported than at the end, where people, under the increasing influence of the moon’s green light, are lead blindly to the fate they know is death, all for the whims and pleasures of …show more content…
5. Is the evidence relevant? How do I know?
I think the evidence is relevant in the sense that it functions well as a way to support and convey his ideas to his readers. I think it’s all relevant to emphasizing the situation he is trying to portray, and the meaning behind it.
6. Have I heard/read anything similar or dissimilar? What was it?
The story was reminiscent of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll for me. The story has a similar unexplained magical element to it, where it’s nearly impossible to predict what happens next.
Mixed with that, it also reminded me of many horror stories with it’s dark tone and unhappy ending.
7. Do I agree or disagree with the views expressed by the author? Why?
I disagree with the views expressed by the author. I feel that humans do have a great deal of free will.
Lovecraft (1920) describes the narrators attempt to reject his ‘fate’ as “my power to linger was slight”, but I believe that people have much more choice and power than that. In our world, there is no
Nyarlathotep guiding us down dark paths, it is our own decisions that do