Letter to Carpentier

13 Mar 2012

Dear Alejo Carpentier,

            I recently read Kingdom of this World and had a question concerning the fourth chapter of part three. The narrator says, “For this reason, bowed down by suffering and duties, beautiful in the midst of his misery, capable of loving in the face of afflictions and trials, man finds his greatness, his fullest measure, only in the [Kingdom] of This World (179). I wanted to ask – how does the narrator know this? Is it just the belief held in terms of the book? Alternatively, does the speaker come to this conclusion based on fact? I understand the creolization of Ti Noël (mainly the Catholic bit) has much to do with this aspect, what with the beliefs of the Catholic Church and all. However, does the speaker say this as fact with reputable proof, or does he say it as a belief?

            “…man’s greatness consists in the very fact of wanting to be better than he is,” (179). Along the same lines as those above, this lesson also seems based on belief more so than fact. Was that the intention, a belief taken as fact, or at face value? Many people out in this world believe they are the best they can be or many that do not care. By stating “man's greatness,” is this to mean that man can only be great by these standards? Are there other standards in which man can be considered great and this is just one of them? Again with fact and belief: is this statement based on belief of the narrator, or on something more?

            What should I, as the reader, take away from this revelation, from this idea that man is great according to the things he isn’t?

           

            Regards,

                        Allyson Kipfer