Burning Out in Tom Stoppards Arcadia :: Stoppard Arcadia Essays

Burning Out in Tom Stoppards ArcadiaHumanity has no intention of fading away, but rather has designed, by its nature, a flash before death, a burning out, if you will. Inherent in the human character is a desire to fight until the end, whether it be physically, or intellectually. In Arcadia, Septimus describes life as a processional march, telling Thomasina, The procession is very(prenominal) long and life is very short. We die on the march (Stoppard 38). But as we die, we dont simply allow ourselves to pass into the distance. We push our muscles to the limit, breathing harder and harder until we fall. The people of this earth do not check the uncomplicated universal pattern of slowly giving up hot for ice-cold. Despite human understanding of this pattern, and the ultimate fate of ending up cold even after the flash, our noise, as Valentine calls it, love and sex and other various distractions, affects our life equation, and makes Thomasinas death in a fire all too appropriate. As Hannah and Valentine discuss the mysteries of Sidely Park, Valentine argues that everything in the universe progresses from heat to cold. He illustrates, Its a one way street. Your tea will end up at room temperature...it is hazard to everything everywhere. The sun and the stars...were all going to end up at room temperature (Stoppard 78). Hannah, appearing to support Valentines statement, recites a section of Lord Byrons Darkness I had a dream that was not all a dream The bright sun was extinguished, and the stars Did wander darkling in the eternal space, Rayless, and pathless, and the icy earth Swung blind and nigrify in the moonless air... (Stoppard 79) Hannah, however, is refuting Valentines statement, not supporting it, as is evidenced by the rest of Byrons poem, which goes on to say ...all hearts Were chilld into a selfish prayer for lighthearted And they did live by watch fires... The habitations of all things which dwell Were burnt for beacons cities were consumed, And m en were gatherd round their blazing homes To look once more into each others face... Forests were set on fire - but hour by hour They fell and faded - and the crackling trunks Extinguished with a crash - and all was black... (Byron 31) Darkness implies that as the universe gets colder, humanity, in an effort to stay alive, burns the earth for warmth.