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Does "Slouching Towards Bethlehem" mean "lazily moving towards Golden Land"?

 
 
Reply Wed 27 May, 2015 02:08 am

Context:

Slouching Towards Bethlehem is a 1968 collection of essays by Joan Didion and mainly describes her experiences in California during the 1960.

More:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slouching_Towards_Bethlehem_(disambiguation)
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Type: Question • Score: 3 • Views: 2,743 • Replies: 7
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Ionus
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Reply Wed 27 May, 2015 04:31 am
@oristarA,
The phrase , “slouching towards Bethlehem”, which can be thought of as a kind of signature, comes from William Butler Yeats’ poem, “The Second Coming,” in which Yeats himself is not explicit about its meaning . However, it is difficult to avoid the conclusion that the “rough beast, its hour come round at last” is the Antichrist. And "slouching towards Bethlehem" is a mockery of the second coming of Jesus . So it is about the Judeo-Christian end of days scenario and is a mockery of Jesus . Joan Didion was scathing of the drug culture and used the phrase to suggest the end of days but there would be no saviour .
oristarA
 
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Reply Wed 27 May, 2015 05:07 am
@Ionus,
Thanks.
Does slouching mean spiritless here?
And "rough beast" implies Christ (that is why the poem is Antichrist)?
Ionus
 
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Reply Wed 27 May, 2015 06:13 am
@oristarA,
No, slouching means 'no hurry, not being dignified or glorious' and refers to Jesus . "rough beast" implies the anti-Christ .
oristarA
 
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Reply Wed 27 May, 2015 07:28 am
@Ionus,
Ionus wrote:

No, slouching means 'no hurry, not being dignified or glorious' and refers to Jesus . "rough beast" implies the anti-Christ .


So "Juses towards Bethlehem" refers to the second coming of Jesus?
Ionus
 
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Reply Wed 27 May, 2015 07:30 am
@oristarA,
Yes .
oristarA
 
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Reply Wed 27 May, 2015 07:52 am
@Ionus,
Ionus wrote:

Yes .


I wonder why Jesus could be named as slouching, which is an objective rather than a noun.

By using the word slouching, the author seems to imply that Jesus is so lazy, he acts slowly and ineffectively.
Ionus
 
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Reply Wed 27 May, 2015 07:58 am
@oristarA,
Quote:
By using the word slouching, the author seems to imply that Jesus is so lazy, he acts slowly and ineffectively.
The author is not religious . They are saying that the saviour is not what we should be expecting when things go wrong, like the end of days . Are you being serious because I have seen your english and it is better than that .
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