This is the English version of "Le rêve sous l'empire de l'amour". It's the story of Henriot Levesque and Pamela Julian who dream of putting their love in concrete form, despite a mountain of obstacles.
The author thinks that we have plenty of dreams we would like to put in concrete forms. However, he wonders if such materialization easily falls in the realm of possibility He thinks this way because dream, taken to its broader sense, forms the backdrop of reality. This one, to start with, closely follows contours, appearances and uncertain aspects similar to dream evanescent characteristics, to its precarious and puzzling looks, giving, first, rise to hope, and then, with a reversal of fortune, showing a grimacing aspect of existence. The author wonders, based on the uncertainties of reality, the often incredible speed of its metamorphosis, if he deserves this blissful feeling, this beatitude and financial security he has enjoyed for the last two years or so; if he deserves this indescribable joy of teaching philosophy at the State University, ethics at the school for adolescents; at his functions as an associate at the Legal Laboratory where skilled lawyers work wonders in the field of legal science.
Henriot’s two loves
In « Dream, under the influence of love »
By Antoine Archange Raphael
Henriot acts under the influence of two loves: his love of ideas and his love of a “flower” called Pamela Julian.
The first love, Henriot knows where to find it: at the university, from his invisible friends (living or dead authors), in the commerce of the minds.
The second one is grown in the “flower bed” of a wealthy family. It is embodied in the person of a special, beautiful, ravishing “flower” with a heart and a will. It doesn’t let anyone pick it up. It gives itself up to whomever it wants to.
These two loves will guide Henriot in the framework of history.
His love of philosophy will pull him from the claws of suicide which covets after him like a vulture watching patiently a dying animal. Fortunately, that man thinks that suicide, like love, passion, democracy, anarchy, liberalism and all the great themes of human history, should be submitted to critical reflection. Then, Henriot, before taking any action, wonders about suicide. Along the way, he will discover that there are so many ways in this world to reach happiness, to experience joy of living: in the metro, he sees a woman, a board smile at her face, who washes down a mouthful of rye bread with a sip of warm coffee; a man who smiles at captivating ideas stemming from a book. In the street, he catches sign of children who exchange jokes; a female adolescent who distorts her charming face with her lovely finger, while waiting for the green light at a street crossing; the train that reaches the station full with commuters; the buses, the lines of cars…But, this is life!
Yes, there are so many ways to live and to belong to human history. Then, why should we fall in the arms of suicide, a source of nothingness, a bottomless pit, with no basis in reality.
Henriot’s second love (by the way of Pamela Julian) keeps him in a state of purity which earns him the title of the monk without the appearance.
Admittedly, he realizes his appeal to women and becomes alarmed about it. He wonders if such amoral manifestation in this respect wouldn’t push him to extremes. Certainly he would do harm to himself. He would destroy his dreams of happiness, put an end to his integrity and his plans for the future. He would certainly reduce his chance to get nearer to his “goddess”; he means Pamela.
Fortunately, he has never ceased to be a person, a thinking entity open to self-control, to act as a witness for his own action, by anticipating, in his mind’s eyes, the eventual turn of event in case he should behave in one way instead in another way. Then, his second love and his inner court, this little inner safety lamp, make him aware of this kind of dandyism to which women have induced him, whom he has met at the university, at work, at the commercial areas and at the street corners. He doesn’t like the idea of womanizing at all. His argument is simple: these lovely women only ask him to fulfill an office of sexual puppet, an agent of pleasure.
He contents himself with Pamela’s love.
Note: There is a French version of this book published by www.lulu.com, ISBN 978-0-557-28326-2. It’s entitled: “Le rêve, sous l’empire de l’amour.”
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