{"id":4403,"date":"2012-08-28T15:21:21","date_gmt":"2012-08-28T19:21:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/unequallyyoked\/?p=4403"},"modified":"2012-08-30T14:11:50","modified_gmt":"2012-08-30T18:11:50","slug":"nobody-human-can-stand-all-that-everlasting-affection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/unequallyyoked\/2012\/08\/nobody-human-can-stand-all-that-everlasting-affection.html","title":{"rendered":"“Nobody human can stand all that everlasting affection!”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

The quote is from\u00a0<\/em>Company,<\/em> the subject is\u00a0<\/em>Passion, as the Sondheim Symposium<\/a> goes on. This installment includes spoilers for\u00a0<\/em>1984.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

At the climax of\u00a01984<\/em>, Winston is broken by the tortures in room 101. The moment that anihilates him and represents victory for Big Brother is the moment where he cries out:<\/p>\n

Do it to her! Do it to Julia! I don\u2019t care what you do to her, but do it to her! Tear her face off! Do it to Julia, not to me! Do it to Julia! Not me!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

If this is betrayal, we might assume that true love would be offering to be tortured in order to spare Julia her suffering. \u00a0And, that, presumably, would be a beautiful and triumphal moment.<\/p>\n

But, in\u00a0Passion<\/em>, when Fosca says to Giorgio \u201cWould Clara give her life for you? Would she? I would. Happily,\u201d he recoils (as does the audience). \u00a0What we expect to hear as the\u00a0fulfillment\u00a0of long love and intimacy is offered to Giorgio as an unasked for and unwanted gift. \u00a0Who could have the temerity to die for you without your permission?<\/p>\n

Look at the lyrics of Giorgio\u2019s rebuke to Fosca<\/a> and listen to \u201cIs this what you call Love?\u201d below. \u00a0(audio only, sadly)<\/p>\n