This is a really thoughtful and beautiful piece. Could you say more about what you mean by "genuine festivity?" I get the sense that you define it in the last paragraph, but I am not entirely sure what the term means, so I feel like I am losing the main thrust of the article. I love your comments on choice though! Very well put.
Thanks for your comment, Maddie. Which gives me occasion to recommend to you a wonderful book by Josef Pieper, In Tune with the World: A Theory of Festivity. To summarize his argument most unfairly in a sentence, Pieper argues that festivity is most essentially an attitude of joyful affirmation of the goodness of all creation and its Creator, and only secondarily the actual lived celebration. In Chapter VI of the book he argues that the original "home" of the arts was the festival. A fascinating argument! Strength to your arm and all blessings for 2025!
Wow, that is fascinating. I have loved everything I have read by Josef Pieper (which, by the way, is far too little!). I will look into it. Thank you for the recommendation!
I'm a longtime fan of Wicked the musical and I enjoyed the movie. I have always interpreted the story as primarily about maintaining relationships and friendships as an adult–as young people mature into their identities and pursue different paths, it can be hard to figure out which relationships to leave behind and which to cling to. Through this lens, it is a powerful story about how young people can make bad decisions (e.g. choosing ambition over ethics) that fracture relationships and cause "drama," but part of adult maturity is assessing the more important things–do we share a common vision of good, even if we pursued different paths toward that goal? This story arc doesn't really come to fruition until the second act of Wicked the musical (specifically the song number "For Good") so I am excited to see how it is portrayed in the second movie.
I appreciate these observations, Carolyn, thanks for sharing them. That "common vision of good" makes all the difference, I think, when it comes to living a truly authentic human life.
On the whole, I loved Wicked (part 1). The essential truths Elphaba chooses to own are indeed intrinsic to her nature: She’s green (skin color), and she can do magic (natural talent). She has no choice about either of things, but she chooses to stop hiding them and use them to pursue an objective good (a campaign to stop the persecution of talking animals, who are also merely exercising their own intrinsic talents.) I haven’t seen the stage musical so I don’t know how Part 2 unfolds, but apart from a few minor quibbles, Part 1 is truly excellent.
Thank you for this thoughtful comment, Karen. You’ve made a strong argument for transcendent moral values operative in Wicked. I think I need to see the movie!
Your piece reminded me of this from St. Teresa de Avila: The important this is not to think much but to love much; and so do that which best stirs you to love."
I agree that doing things from a place of perceived authenticity may lead one down a bad path. I'm also reminded of a scene in a Whit Stillman movie (I think Last Days of Disco) where a character questions the idea of to thyself be true. He's like but what if my SELF isn't very good?
This is a really thoughtful and beautiful piece. Could you say more about what you mean by "genuine festivity?" I get the sense that you define it in the last paragraph, but I am not entirely sure what the term means, so I feel like I am losing the main thrust of the article. I love your comments on choice though! Very well put.
Thanks for your comment, Maddie. Which gives me occasion to recommend to you a wonderful book by Josef Pieper, In Tune with the World: A Theory of Festivity. To summarize his argument most unfairly in a sentence, Pieper argues that festivity is most essentially an attitude of joyful affirmation of the goodness of all creation and its Creator, and only secondarily the actual lived celebration. In Chapter VI of the book he argues that the original "home" of the arts was the festival. A fascinating argument! Strength to your arm and all blessings for 2025!
Wow, that is fascinating. I have loved everything I have read by Josef Pieper (which, by the way, is far too little!). I will look into it. Thank you for the recommendation!
I'm a longtime fan of Wicked the musical and I enjoyed the movie. I have always interpreted the story as primarily about maintaining relationships and friendships as an adult–as young people mature into their identities and pursue different paths, it can be hard to figure out which relationships to leave behind and which to cling to. Through this lens, it is a powerful story about how young people can make bad decisions (e.g. choosing ambition over ethics) that fracture relationships and cause "drama," but part of adult maturity is assessing the more important things–do we share a common vision of good, even if we pursued different paths toward that goal? This story arc doesn't really come to fruition until the second act of Wicked the musical (specifically the song number "For Good") so I am excited to see how it is portrayed in the second movie.
I appreciate these observations, Carolyn, thanks for sharing them. That "common vision of good" makes all the difference, I think, when it comes to living a truly authentic human life.
On the whole, I loved Wicked (part 1). The essential truths Elphaba chooses to own are indeed intrinsic to her nature: She’s green (skin color), and she can do magic (natural talent). She has no choice about either of things, but she chooses to stop hiding them and use them to pursue an objective good (a campaign to stop the persecution of talking animals, who are also merely exercising their own intrinsic talents.) I haven’t seen the stage musical so I don’t know how Part 2 unfolds, but apart from a few minor quibbles, Part 1 is truly excellent.
Thank you for this thoughtful comment, Karen. You’ve made a strong argument for transcendent moral values operative in Wicked. I think I need to see the movie!
Your piece reminded me of this from St. Teresa de Avila: The important this is not to think much but to love much; and so do that which best stirs you to love."
I agree that doing things from a place of perceived authenticity may lead one down a bad path. I'm also reminded of a scene in a Whit Stillman movie (I think Last Days of Disco) where a character questions the idea of to thyself be true. He's like but what if my SELF isn't very good?