How Sri Lankan novel reveals:

Steve Jobs's philosophical stance

By Indeewara THILAKARATHNE

Ronald Barthes is considered as a major literary theorist who revolutionised the theoretical outlook of the concepts of literary 'work' and 'Text'. Central to his thesis is the seminal distinction that Barthes made between the 'Text' and 'Work'.

He explained his theoretical framework in an academic essay entitled "From Work to Text". In the essay Barthes states " ...it is best to speak of literary text rather than work because the former suggests, via its allusion to the interweaving of different strands of material (text originally meant cloth-fabric), the way in which each text is caught up in a web of

Intertexuality. That is, if every sign gestures towards every other sign, then so does each text ''

He further explains the differences between a literary text and a literary work:

"...there are a number of differences between a literary text and a literary work. He warns, firstly, against the dangers of basing such a distinction on chronology, determining that the "work is classic, the text avant-garde" : "there may be 'text' in very ancient work, while many products of contemporary literature are in no way texts".

Rather, he contends that where the work is synonymous with an actual book which one can hold in one's hands or lodge in a library (that is, it occupies an actual physical space) or even place on an examination syllabus, the text is what he describes as a "methodological field" . By that, Barthes means that the text is a "process of demonstration" and that it "speaks according to certain rules".

In other words, "the Text is experienced only in an activity of production" . The text is not the "decomposition of the work, it is the work that is the imaginary tail of the Text" .Indeed, the text is not confined to the space occupied by a single work. Rather, it "cannot stop . . . its constitutive movement is that of cutting across (in particular, it can cut across the work, several works". Secondly, the text cannot be constrained by outmoded generic classifications or distinctions between literature and non-literature or between 'good' and 'bad' literature. Texts possess a "subversive force in respect of the old classifications" and may even be, in some cases, "limit-works" , that is, which go to the "limit of the rules of enunciation "

"The opposition may recall (without at all reproducing term for term) Lacan's distinction between 'reality' and 'the real': the one is displayed, the other demonstrated; likewise, the work can be seen (in bookshops, in catalogues, in exam syllabuses), the text is a process of demonstration, speaks according to certain rules (or against certain rules); the work can be held in the hand, the text is held in language, only exists in the movement of a discourse (or rather, it is Text for the very reason that it knows itself as text); the Text is not the decomposition of the work, it is the work that is the imaginary tail of the Text; or again, the Text is experienced only in an activity of production. It follows that the Text cannot stop (for example on a library shelf); its constitutive movement is that of cutting across (in particular, it can cut across the work, several works)."

I cited Ronald Barthes's theoretical framework to explain how that artistic novel emerges out of complex contemporary realities brought about by myriads socio-economic changes. A skilful and matured writer can make use of extraordinary characters, their behavioural patterns as well as their philosophical stances particularly on life.

Steve Jobs's death compels us to read the contemporary Sinhalese novel Agni Chakra which was translated into English by Ranga Chandrarathne as Circles of Fire in a different light. Circles of Fire subtly enunciates Steve Jobs's philosophical stance in the chapter 27. Although the novel is not about Steve Jobs and his philosophy of life, Jobs's philosophical stance has been cited to stress the reality of life that the protagonist Prof.Saddhamangala Sirinivasa experiences towards the end of the novel. In the Chapter 27 of the novel commences with the following description by Prof. Saddhamangala Sirinivasa after reading a newspaper articles on Steve Jobs:

" I was interested in the lecture recently delivered by an American millionaire. I wrote an extract of the lecture which appeared yesterday in a newspaper. He says that the idea that one who should die soon must help him by making most important decisions in life. He says that what remains, at the end, of the multitude of hopes that get negated before death, is the essence.

I felt that the fact that he stressed at the Convocation of the University of Stafford in USA assomething which was made based on my life.

He is Steve Jobs, the Chief Executive Officer of Apple Computers and Pixar Animation Studios. He who stimulated my curiosity about the question ‘How to face death’, is among the top ten millionaires in the computer world today.

Point of view

His statement compelled me to look at wealth and prosperity from a different point of view. I also earned a considerable fortune in this island nation. Comparing his and my wealth, I am like a fire-fly before the sun. On certain points, I have similarities with him. He entered the Reed College after I had entered university. But, within six months, he had left the University.

Steve says that the backdrop for his leaving the University had been there even before he was born. That was because his mother was unmarried. It was at this point, similarities between him and I commenced. He was brought up by a lawyer and his wife.

He bade farewell to the University realising that the couple’s entire wealth would have to be spent on his university fees.

After leaving the university, Steve could not find accommodation. When he went to a friend, he had to spend the night on an uncomfortable bed. He earned his living by selling empty oca-Cola bottles while sleeping on a bare floor and would walk seven miles on foot to the Hari Krishna Temple to have a sumptuous meal.

Courage

I was amazed beyond imagination on two counts; first how he mustered the courage to reveal his miserable past at the convocation, secondly, the similarities of life experiences between him and me. But I have put my past into a wooden box and nailed it covering it with concrete.

I think that the past cannot emerge as the spirits the exorcists would seal in cigarette tins and float in the sea.

How hard had I tried to conceal it throughout my life? Were the laments of my spirit piercing through the concrete that emerged as nightmares?

The ‘Apple’ company which Steve founded in a garage with a friend twenty years ago had become a company with 4000 employees with assets worth two billion dollars. His brilliant creation ‘Macintosh Computer’ was released to the market when Steve was thirty. But, during this period, Steve was sacked from the company following a dispute with a manager he himself recruited.

Expulsion

He considers the expulsion of him from the Apple as a wonderful privilege in his life. He says that releasing from the burden of leadership and responsibilities turned an extremely creative chapter in life.

I, once again, began to realise the Buddhist saying that ‘the life would be happy not by acquiring things but by renouncing them’. I quickly searched for Ratnaweera’s e-mail address.

I could not remember where I had jotted it down in small letters in the vehicle. Steve who had obtained an honorary Degree from the Super University of life though notearned a university degree, had started the two companies, ‘Next’ and ‘Pixar’ within the next five years he spent in leisure. I know that the ‘Pixar’ which produced the world’s first animation film became the best studio for animation films in the world. Steve had, once again, joined Apple after Apple bought over ‘Next’. A turning point in Apple’s resurgence was the technology developed by ‘Next’.

The next story was directly connected to me. It was ‘cancer’ and ‘death’. Steve had also got a cancer. I really did not know Steve’s state of mind when it was revealed following a test that he had got an incurable cancer. The doctors had said that he would live only for six months.

I still don’t have to face this situation.

The details of his biopsy were also given in the report. The doctors, who examined a specimen of cells from the pancreas, concluded that it was a rare cancer which can be cured by surgery. Steve recovered completely following the surgery.

A silver line of hope flashed again in my mind. I thought I would visit America and would test myself for cancer. I was afraid that it would be a fruitless exercise. Now I was trying to find out a new dimension to death based on Steve’s remarks on death.

He says none would like death and even those who like to go to heaven are afraid of death. I thought whether it was not death that opened the door to Nirvana or heaven. But can we make up our minds for death to open the door for any kind of liberation?

Steve points out that the death is the greatest invention in life as it changes it. I thought of what I was living for.

Another question arose in me was that should we die in the same body we were born in. It was the final remark of Steve’s lecture which injected life into my fainting heart and weak mind.

There he emphasised the need to identify the hope at the bottom of the heart. All other requirements would be nullified when one identified the real want according to one’s intuition. ”

Inventor

Steven Paul “Steve” Jobs is an American inventor and entrepreneur. He was co-founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Apple Inc and was also the co-founder and previously served as chief executive of Pixar Animation Studios.

In his childhood, he had to face numerous hardships compelling him to leave the university. But he earned a degree from the university of life.

The life of the protagonist of Agni Chakra (Circles of fire) Prof. Saddhamangala Sirinivasa commenced his life amidst hardships and deprivations.

As in the case of Steve Jobs, doctors warn him of a cancer. Saddhamangala began to reflect on his past when he was experiencing death. However, he could not realise it as he was murdered.

It is the realisation of life which reminds one of one’s real natures. It is only one realised this truth that man becomes complete.

Now most of the rich visit India in search of this and no one can rule out the fact that novel can also open up avenues for the realisation of life although there may be diverse definition of novel.

The novel Agni Chakra (Circles of fire) stands out among contemporary Sinhalese fiction for offering the readers with such a rare philosophy of life although it is made of semi-fictional characters and incidents.