[EVA] The Greater Meaning

[Colin Tate]

I'm in agreement.  Its up to the individual to determine the meaning  
of any work.  One of the key things about storytelling is that its at  
its core the triggering of an internal reaction, so when watching or  
reading Eva the enjoyment comes out of your interpretation of the  
events on the page or screen.  As such the meaning of the work is  
affected by the person far more than the actual meaning intended by  
the creator.

As an aside, one of the interesting aspects of gnosticism is the fact  
that there is the common goal of enlightenment at an individual level,  
and that the path taken there is done at an individual level.  One  
persons illumination does not have to be that of another.  Given the  
gnostic "dressing" of Eva, I find it an interesting way to view the  
work.


C.


On 10 Jun 2008, at 22:34, once at ix.netcom.com wrote:

>
>
> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Peter Svensson <sun1jack at hotmail.com>
>> Sent: Jun 10, 2008 1:30 PM
>> To: "The english-language evangelion mailing list." <evangelion at eva.onegeek.org 
>> >
>> Subject: [EVA] The Greater Meaning
>>
>>
>> What is Evangelion about? I have my answer, but I'd like to hear  
>> everyone else's before I give it, so as not to stifle creativity.  
>> There must be something to the series that keeps us talking about  
>> it, so what is it? At the core, why is Evangelion important?
>>
>> Peter Svensson
>>
>>
>
> I think you're helping to answer your own question. I think the  
> meaning of any work or phenomenon is something that only resides in  
> individuals. That is, everyone (including, of course, the creators  
> of a work--and Eva's staff has spoken at various times about its  
> meaning to them) has to decide for themselves what, if anything, a  
> work means. But if a work such as Evangelion keeps so many people  
> talking and wondering about it, that's certainly a sign it has  
> meaning for those people. At that point, you have to ask yourself,  
> what's it about for you, personally?
>
> It may seem like an evasive answer, but it really isn't. The  
> responsibility each individual has for meaning is an important theme  
> in modern philosophy, dating back to at least Kierkegaard, which  
> Evangelion quotes in the title of episode 16. Never mind fiction  
> such as Eva--if you look at the real world, there are tremendous  
> events like wars, religions, and movements that nevertheless mean  
> one thing to some, another thing to others--and nothing at all to  
> many. There is such a thing as meaning, and it can be the most  
> powerful thing in the world--but it is a personal phenomenon--or a  
> personal indifference.
>
> --C.
>
>
>
> -- 
> Evangelion mailing list - To unsubscribe, visit
> http://eva.onegeek.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/evangelion