Getting Through Life

Getting Through Life

The Garden Lodge

     I believe there is something more in like than what Caroline has done throughout her life. It is the beauty of sentiments. In the lodge Caroline becomes sentimental and confronts it, but soon compresses her from being emotional or "idealistic" like what her family did. The reason she pressed her from being so was that she wanted to live a more convenient life. She didn't want something vague anymore, but something real and precise, as she went through her "vague" childhood. But what would that mean?

     What would be living so convenient mean, when one has to keep on pressuring from having such natural emotions? Caroline saw it valuable, maybe, but I could understand what her father or Heinrich wanted for their lives. They knew that falling under those vague emotions didn't help them any for a convenient living, but music and art was what they lived for. The moments they spent in music and art, that was what they devoted themselves wholly into. I believe that Heinrich would have been much happier than Caroline; Caroline would realize, at the end of her death, that she had never really did something she desired by devoting herself fully, but instead just keep on stopping herself from those bursting emotions.

     The beauty of emotions; they are the sensation many artists cry for, what writers give up most of their life for, and the fire that makes people to throw themselves in when they know that they would tear down in flames, like a moth. And that's why Caroline's piano would never be as beautiful as her father's.     
     The fact that Caroline had lived in a time period much different from now on, when the world was (relatively) not peaceful, is true. So maybe it can be argued that it was her best way to overcome the self-destruction; but here, how can we call it a 'best' way?
     Is it a best way if it brings one convenience? Is it a best way if it brings one money? Is it a best way if it promises you a nice, cozy bed? No, those can never be the best value of life, and therefore can never be a ultimate purpose of life-at least for me. Maybe I would have also done like Caroline if I was in her time, but when the opportunity came-the one she loved-to evoke my sentiments, and get to feel the real "happiness", I wouldn't have trashed it away.        
     I know that I should not be looking at her story with the perspective that is built within the society nowadays; and Caroline's desire of stability is understandable. Succeeding destruction like World War I and Great Depression could have made her think that the world is a place that would not let her survive if she struggled with emotions that bothers her to make rational, objective decisions-what will bring her the most. But still, wouldn't it be too sad if, when Caroline meets her time of death in her cozy bed, and finally recognizes that she never enjoyed fully of what she really loved? 

Comments

Haeuk Ko: Yes, perhaps Caroline's piano might not be as 'beautiful' as her father's in the eyes of those who look for the flame of passion in every object. But, if one was intent on looking for harmony of objects that form a beauty together-not by itself-Caroline's would be more adequate than her father's which would shine too brightly alone. All in all, what I wanted to comment on was that perhaps you cherish only one way because you did not yet find the values of the other way. Just as people from 60s and 80s have different prospects of like, people from different backgrounds find content and satisfaction from different lives.

Yoonju Chung: It was really interesting to read your essay! I could not have thought of finding a theme "the beauty of sentimentality" after reading "The Garden Lodge". Maybe she was not happy as much as her brother and were since she had never done something she is really eager to do. Although I thought giving up her past was the best way to overcome self-destruction in this time period (after WW1, influenza, Great Depression, Russian revolution), it was really interesting and I hope you put more background information. More developing your eyes is what needed!