Posts Tagged ‘definition’

Indefinity

Tuesday, April 15th, 2008

“Then, my dear Herbert, I cannot tell you how dependent and uncertain I feel, and how exposed to hundreds of chances. Avoiding forbidden ground, as you did just now, I may still say that on the constancy of one person (naming no person) all my expectations depend. And at the best, how indefinite and unsatisfactory, only to know so vaguely what they are!”

–Pip, Great Expectations, Volume II Chapter xi

This dialogue of Pip’s struck me, scanning my eyes over it once more on lunch down at the sushi bar. That it would strike me so is yet another matter to ponder. Identification, as it exists between reader and subject is most certainly beneficial to the survival of a story. This very reposting is testament.

Infefinity, as opposed to indefiniteness, I would define as the state of being presented with a plenitude of potential outcomes, bombarded by choice and chance, so as to make any certain action or decision a virtual impossibility. Some would say the word is in regard to something vague or poorly defined, nearing the indefinite. Fair enough. I’m sticking with my definition as well though.

Here I stand, pure in my indefinity.