By then I’d realised that this is a simple parable about the
parlous state of human nature. You take an innocent who is gifted but different
from the norm and set him loose in human society. The majority of the
inhabitants of that society are intrigued by his skill and exploit it
exclusively to serve their own interests. And when their exploitation turns
sour and the innocent reacts with understandable emotion, they turn on him. They
see him as dangerous and feel justified in wanting him destroyed.
It’s like the man who overloads his pack horse to save the
expense of using two. And when the horse stumbles under the pain and weight, it’s
the animal which gets the blame and feels the whip.
Well, I already knew that about human nature; I’ve been
observing it carefully all my life. I don’t need Tim Burton to show it to me.
* * *
And on a personal and unconnected note, isn’t it a shame
when the last rays of the westering sun are the strongest and warmest of the
day, and then the sun goes suddenly down to leave nothing but darkness and the
chill air of night?
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