Involuntary Bees

On Some Motifs in Baudelaire Illuminations Walter Benjamin

III

The next passage builds from the last one that was about whether memory is voluntary or involuntary. The focus here surrounds what happens to involuntary memory and it seems to arise from a suspicion and unfurls.

As this happens we start to consider memory and Baudelaire side by side. Memory and consciousness are set in opposition and Benjamin brings in Freud claiming that consciousness' role is to suppress memory of stimuli. Senses are overbearing and dominate our mind and it is in one's interest to focus on as little of them as possible.

This sounds like a puritan talking but then we focus on what eventually overwhelms are ability to ignore and we relate memory to neurosis. Memory is a recollection of what we fail to be conscious of. Something anarchic to our minds that try to instil a sense of order and serenity.

St. Ambrose The Golden Legend J. De Voragine

These myths are a bit of a mixing pot compared to ancient greek ones. They also are seem to be active and almost in the middle of a sport where energy is moved from one side to another and a farce where the ending is always god's glory.

His tale starts with bees. I'm not sure if the bees are augers of his holiness or some sort of test he over comes. To be sure, he is fated to become great but he does not feel this way and even rejects a crowd of people who seem to recognize his uniqueness at sight. Curiously he starts misbehaving to prove he's sleazy but his plan doesn't work and it's not quite clear why he resists becoming bishop and why he eventually decides to follow through with it.

Also contrasting with their greek counterparts in this role as a human messenger and relatively inactive role they play. It seems like when they do spark into action it involves people in a state of disbelieving or in a state of nearly being executed. The situation is written and resolved breifly and harshly.