For readers that had grown accustomed to the interactive experience of publishing online, please see the below content regarding the rewrite of Chapter Four: Natural Absolutist.

Nature shows that with the growth of intelligence comes increased capacity for pain, and it is only with the highest degree of intelligence that suffering reaches its supreme point. – Arthur Schopenhauer

Black and White, Chapter Four: Natural Absolutist

Announcement

Please accept my apologies for my lack of response to correspondence via email these last few weeks. I’ve always gone out of my way to be accessible, but given the volume of emails and the closeness of my deadline, I will have to answer questions and provide information in this venue going forward. I do update my Facebook as I am writing, however, my page is private until I integrate my chosen penname with my online penname.

You are more than welcome, however, to follow me on Twitter, where I update more frequently. Furthermore, I will have the same updates here as they are complete and ready. In the meantime, I apologize for the inconvenience.

As for future correspondence, requests and questions, please feel free to continue to send them and I will always answer somehow. Email inquiries to blackandwhitenovel@gmail.com. Thank you all for your excitement, enthusiasm, encouragement and humbling requests for interactive content. For the fashion gurus, I even set up a Polyvore account (thank you original readers Nicki and Dawn) and updated it on editing breaks (as ridiculous as it felt), so I will post that shortly, probably via my next update.

Music and More…

For those that asked, here is the full playlist link for this chapter and embedded player.

Chapter Four (which was Chapter Five in the original) did not change much. For those of you that recall, this chapter is crucial for the development of Jason’s character. I tried to pick a teaser, but they’re all so close to one another, so I decided to just post a thick quote from Arthur Schopenhauer that Jason reflects upon:

“First of all come the pleasures of vital energy, of food, drink, digestion, rest and sleep; and there are parts of the world where it can be said that these are characteristic and national pleasures.

Secondly, there are the pleasures of muscular energy, such as walking, running, wrestling, dancing, fencing, riding and similar athletic pursuits, which sometimes take the form of sport, and sometimes of a military life and real warfare.

Thirdly, there are the pleasures of sensibility, such as observation, thought, feeling, or a taste for poetry or culture, music, learning, reading, meditation, invention, philosophy and the like. As regards the value, relative worth and duration of each of these kinds of pleasure, a great deal might be said, which, however, I leave the reader to supply.

But everyone will see that the nobler the power which is brought into play, the greater will be the pleasure which it gives; for pleasure always involves the use of one’s own powers, and happiness consists in a frequent repetition of pleasure. No one will deny that in this respect the pleasures of sensibility occupy a higher place than either of the other two fundamental kinds; which exist in an equal, nay, in a greater degree in brutes; it is this preponderating amount of sensibility which distinguishes man from other animals.

Now, our mental powers are forms of sensibility, and therefore a preponderating amount of it makes us capable of that kind of pleasure which has to do with mind, so-called intellectual pleasure; and the more sensibility predominates, the greater the pleasure will be.

For the highest, most varied and lasting pleasures are those of the mind, however much our youth may deceive us on this point; and the pleasure of the mind turns chiefly on the powers of the mind. It is clear, then, that our happiness depends in a great degree upon what we are, upon our individuality.” [1. Arthur Schopenhauer, Wisdom of Life]

Schopenhauer has a great point, but for the first time Jason makes a hinted connection between his current dramatically individualistic lifestyle and (current or ability to) pursuit of all three pleasures, and his silent, secret dissatisfaction with the life he has now, despite how fortunate he believes he is to have retained it. There are some critical components of “pleasure” missing; elements of life Schopenhauer never experienced, either. Although Schopenhauer isn’t necessarily drawing conclusions in this passage about instinct and love, he denigrates human interaction to procedure. But if “feeling” is classified as the most fulfilling “feeling”, then wouldn’t one want to pursue that above the inclination to be wholly selfish? The instinct to procreate and the instinct to love are perhaps the same thing in a sense, a manifestation, not an illusion, not one disguising the other. Additionally, if humanity is so wholly flawed, perhaps love is the redemption and therefore greater than the pursuit of mere instructional instinct. Perhaps companionship is superior to solitude.

Because of Jason’s pondering on these ideas, he is more conscious of the simplicity of unwitting, genuine Ava’s sheltered positivism, much of which is rooted in her Christian values, though she is not a zealot. Ava’s quote from Chapter 16 that: “Instincts don’t even cover love”, holds new weight.

As for the location, I didn’t want to just spam with pictures, but I wrote so much from visuals, and the area is simply stunning. Three Top Mountain’s highest peak is at 1500 ft, but the beauty and abundance of wildlife are legendary. Thank you to the locals that sent me direction and advice. I’m still stubbornly using an oak tree. Thank you to Elizabeth for sending me the links to the city-data forum.

Drive across North Carolina state-line

Three Top Mountain, North Carolina

Beethoven’s 6th Symphony was hugely inspirational for this chapter. I basically had it on repeat for at least six hours of consecutive writing and editing. This masterpiece is my third favorite symphony from Beethoven and his most delightful. Beethoven loved nature and spent a great deal of his time on walks in the country, writing this epic masterpiece with wildlife as inspiration. This is nature captured in the mastery of music, showing he is truly the greatest composer of all time. Pure Brilliance.

Symphony No. 6, Movement 1

I wrote the drive to the mountains and the first day to the First Movement. Here is an excellent summary for the music aficionados:

“The symphony begins with this placid and cheerful movement depicting the composer’s feelings as he arrives in the country. The work is in sonata form, and makes use of seven distinct motifs, each of which is extensively developed and transformed. An unusual aspect of the movement is the use of a microscopic texture, obtained by multiple repetitions of very short motifs. As Yvonne Frindle has said, “the infinite repetition of pattern in nature [is] conveyed through rhythmic cells, its immensity through sustained pure harmonies.” [2. Wikipedia, Symphony No. 6]

Symphony No. 6, Movement 3

I wrote the entire second and third scene with this movement constantly playing. It is passionate, humbling, exquisite and joyful music. My absolute favorite of the entire symphony.

Here is another excerpt for those that enjoy the musical composition, or want to learn something new.

“This is the scherzo movement of the symphony, which depicts the country folk dancing and reveling. It is in F major, returning to the main key of the symphony. The trio appears twice rather than just once, and each time it appears it is interrupted by a boisterous passage in 2/4 time (a similar 2/4 eruption is found in Beethoven’s Hammerklavier sonata for piano). Perhaps to accommodate this rather spacious arrangement, Beethoven left out the normally observed repeats of the second parts of the scherzo and the trio. The final return of Scherzo conveys a riotous atmosphere with a faster tempo. The movement ends abruptly when the country folk notice that raindrops are starting to fall.” [2. Wikipedia, Symphony No. 6]

Symphony No. 6, Movement 4

The complete performance can be listened to here.

After arriving, Jason sets up camp and thoroughly enjoys his environment. Feeling inspired, he has an excellent three days in the wilderness. During a huge portion of the second and third scenes, Jason is on the mountain, and revelations and resolutions are the order. These songs kept nagging me.

Seriously, just wanted an excuse to write to this. Dedicated to the MastaJeweler (aka Editor-in-Chief, Kirsten) and her undying love for Beck:

Timebomb by Beck

Pistol of Fire by Kings of Leon

In the final scene on the mountain, Jason regresses and a new side of his rage, pain and control is revealed. His anger and his frustration understandably surge, although over something he refuses to fully acknowledge or dwell upon. His avoidance and denial are patterns of behavior that have become habit.

Some originals from the previous version:

Sleep by She Wants Revenge

I wrote quite a bit to this beautiful piece, which might be one of the most hauntingly dark pieces of music:

Siegfried, Funeral March by Richard Wagner

For the moment in which the character descends from the mountain and heads back to town, brooding and contemplative, I wrote to this:

Parsifal, Prelude, Act I by Richard Wagner

These songs were also on constant repeat:

Must listen: Nothing by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss

The Quiet Things No One Knows (Acoustic) by Brand New

If You Were There, Beware by The Arctic Monkeys

The Baskervilles by Tokyo Police Club

Answered Questions:

Jason’s character carries a .40 Glock 22

Jason’s character drives a Chevy, sorry Ford fans (I love that this is an issue, Rebecca). For the detail-oriented readers/international readers, you can click to see. Sorry I wasn’t able to find a better picture, but you get the idea!

To answer Julie’s question, this is the awesome shelter he would have comprised from tarp, rope and rock:

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