A Voyage unto Spiritual Bliss - Literature review Example

A Voyage unto Spiritual Bliss While essays on philosophy ail from the disadvantage of pushing the readers to the edge of boredom, the genre of fiction leaves scope for writers to engage readers’ imagination and lift them to the realms of pulsating action and adventure. To be able to integrate philosophical musings seamlessly into the fabric of a fictional account poses a challenge to any writer. But Jeff Brown achieves this with ease and panache, through his novel Black Body Radiation and the Ultraviolet Catastrophe (2005), taking his readers on a mystical journey of action and adventure, where they confront the remarkable impact of philosophical reflections to fully comprehend their significance in human life. His work thus stands out as a classic example of how the concepts of spirituality and compassion transform humans, and change the way they look at the world. The plot, on a surface level, involves the story of Augustus, a fifteen year old boy, and the adventures, which string together his encounters with alien beings that form the core of his evolution into spiritual attainment. Hailing from an established family, he is well taken care of by his parents in a material context; but otherwise Augustus feels secluded and alienated from them. Both his parents are busy with their own private matters and they don’t share much of their time with him. Their lack of involvement becomes most apparent from the episode where they fail to notice the burst of ‘the great light coming out of his room’ (Brown, p-3), as also from the references to their attitude that ‘most of his exits went unannounced and unobserved’ (p-11). They also rather tend to incline towards the material side of life, at the peril of disregarding the spiritual needs, as is obvious from the fact that they visit the church only on occasions like Easter and Christmas. Thus Jeff Brown manages to guide the readers through the alleys of the boy’s aloofness with the use of clear and simple narrative devices. Augustus possesses a natural talent in science and is a good learner with straight ‘A’s in his classes. Though lacking in spiritual education, he is very receptive to the process of learning and has the wisdom to readily understand philosophical concepts. This makes him the ideal choice for the visitation by the extraterrestrial entities. The meetings with those celestial beings exposes him to a brand new world and fresh thoughts and concepts, thereby enflaming the spirituality within him that hitherto was in a dormant state, ensconced within the shroud of materialistic understanding of the world, like an ember concealed in ashes. Augustus’ lack in spiritual knowledge seems to stem from the indifference of this parents who ‘work (ing) quietly and separately at their respective desks in the expansive den/library’ (p-3). However, fortunately, the boy still retains the ability to react to spiritual needs which becomes the reason for his ultimate redemption. He also possesses the ability to take cognizance of ‘what the emptiness of a godless world felt like’ (p-5). Thus the visit by the mysterious being (MB) enables him to connect for the first time in his life to something spiritually significant. As the visitations increase, and Augustus embarks on a trail of adventures, he dips deeper into the waters of spirituality, each time to emerge more matured and wiser. The encounter with Queen Ogaboom elevates him to a plateau of self-attainment. Finally, calamity strikes when Augustus gets shot by a mad gunman and sinks into coma; but he is salvaged by the good in him and comes out as a person who not only understands compassion but exemplifies it by embarking on the path of karma. Thus Augusts’ interest in science and his curiosity to understand the intrigues of life finally culminate into a realization of the spirituality and compassion that hold the entire world together. Jeff uses the omnipresent narrator to offer justification as to why he is deviating from the traditional modes of story telling. Instead of depending on lengthy narration of settings or the physical appearance of things, he resorts to the depiction of characters’ feelings and reactions to reveal the impact of situations. An example of this can be seen in the scene where Augustus encounters the “great light” (p.3). The effect of this phenomenon on the character is revealed by the manner in which he shields his eyes and tries to peek through his fingers, but couldn’t do so because of the intensity of the light’s brightness. Thus the author uses subtle action rather than elaborate ornamental language to describe setting and atmosphere. The conspicuous absence of details about setting or atmosphere rather enhances than take away the story’s integrity. Since the narrative basically deals with spirituality, it seems only appropriate that the description about material things or surroundings is kept to a barest minimum. The uniqueness of the theme and the manner in which the author handles the narrative don’t allow the readers a chance to notice or reflect on the absence of a detailed discussion of settings. However, at places he does endeavor to fill in his audience with relevant information about the setting to a limited level, which helps them to relate to the ideas but at the same don’t distract their attention from the essential focus of the story. Though some readers may consider Brown as a minimalist in terms of settings or atmospheric descriptions, he compensates this miserliness by the abundant use of rich imagery throughout the story. Some of the images he so deftly entwines within the threads of the narrative are so vivid and vibrant that one can see them sparkling from the text. Only a few extremely talented writers can boast of the dexterity of imagination that can conjure up the prospect of a person’s enhanced sharpness of sense being capable of hearing “a ladybug on Slim Fast falling on a dozen cotton balls.” (p.1). Similarly, the scene where Augusts feels that “her smile melted the plastic on his handle bars” (p.9) is another distinct example of how well Brown evokes simple images to create a deep impression about the character’s intense emotions in the readers’ minds. It is as if her smile made him blush and the heat in his palm melted the handlebar’s plastic. Another significant effect of Brown’s skill as a writer can be evidenced by the manner in which he spices up the story with speckles of genuine humor while alluding to profound things as in the case of Augustus giving up his scientific experiments for one night to watch the cheerleaders performing. This works as a subtle commentary on how the drive for physical pleasure distracts man from his intellectual pursuit. Such unique blends of humor and philosophy can be seen littered throughout the story which entice the reader to keep on reading. The author’s flair for the use of language and images becomes apparent when he observes Augustus slumping into the ground resembling to something like: “as if they had sucked his skeleton from his body and magically turned him into some type of non vertebrate, a snake, perhaps” (p.10). Though the qualities discussed in the foregoing paragraphs render the story uniqueness which distinguishes it from the rest of the crowd, the most distinct characteristic of the novel is the juxtaposition of philosophy and juicy information with a combination of ingredients like galaxy, aliens and funky places. It is amazing how the author integrates profound philosophic concepts into simple and understandable language, without being pompous or pretentious, so as to enable even a common layman to relate to it and understand human life in a different perspective. An analytical review of a work of this magnitude cannot be completed without specifically elaborating upon some of the philosophical thoughts discussed in the book. The most significant among these will be the contrast between materialism and spirituality. Augustus’ background is literally drained of all links to spirituality except for the two occasions in a year when the family goes to church. The author reflects on the perils mankind will have to subject themselves to, if they remain devoid of mutual love and compassion for one another. Through the story, he refers to many instances where the lack of spirituality creates a dark void within the human being. The difference between parting with the material things and spiritual things is well accentuated in the book. While giving off some material possession depletes the giver’s stock of it, sparing something spiritual serves only to enhance it, as in the case of knowledge. The more one parts with his wisdom, the more it increases. There is also an additional dimension to this process because one can share the same knowledge with a number people in equal measure, but when wealth is shared either the whole goes to one or small proportions are distributed several people. The actual job of sharing thus exists only where one gives out possessions that are nonmaterial. Throughout the book, Brown refers to the lack of human focus on spirituality and the drive for material possessions. A reader can clearly perceive the craze for materialistic pursuits from phrases like: “remained glued to their desks” and “went back to their respective pile of papers.” (p.11). The criticism for lack of parental involvement in the spiritual grooming of their children becomes most apparent by the author’s allusion to “parents who gave him everything he needed, at least materially.” (p.11). The profoundness of Brown’s philosophical thoughts lie pronounced in Augusts’ statement that “we learn best by trial and error, and knowing outcomes beforehand would defeat this most valuable tool.” (p.115). Similar is the observation that to really know pain one has to actually suffer it, and “In order for you to learn how vital good is, it had to be juxtaposed by the most profound and consistent evil (p.185). These are instances that provide readers a good insight into some vital truths in life. The author takes a unique perspective on the difference between knowledge and wisdom in the statement that “Oftentimes knowledge is not as valuable as some think. There are those who have considerable amounts (of knowledge) but because of a lack of wisdom (they) never come to the truth.” (p.116). Brown also dwells on the significance of the eternal over the temporal. Human mind is always focused more on the temporal or material because it looks more alluring, but one attains the state of blissfulness only when one accesses the eternal, that is spiritual refinement. Queen Ogaboom’s admission, “In recent years we have prospered because of our faithfulness,” seems to purport that this spiritual ability is more important than their physical power or strength. (p.112). This stands further emphasized in the statement that “Our real talent lies in our emotions, our capacity for compassion, understanding and the ability to heal with a look or embrace where all else has failed.” (p.29). Thus a reader comes across a multitude of instances where Brown deftly interlaces the narrative with philosophical thoughts that are marked by intellectual depth. But his most significant achievement is that he does this with ease and flamboyance without ever sounding preachy and the ideas are so simply put that even a layman reader finds no problem in understanding the concepts. The story assumes considerable importance in terms of its relevance to the present times where the human being is more slanted to the material side of life at the peril of ignoring spirituality; where hatred rules at the risk of neglecting love. The story’s message of compassion and its ability to heal the world can be discerned as illustrated through Augustus’ life. Thus, by portraying a fifteen year old boy’s transition from a simple scientifically inclined teen into a matured, compassionate and spiritually attained individual, Brown shakes the readers’ conscience and makes them rethink the way they look at the world. Works Cited Brown, Jeffrey P. Black Body Radiation and the Ultraviolet Catastrophe (2005). Lulu Incorporated, USA. Read More