I do not intend to give a lecture on Greek mythology, and certainly not the myth of Pandora (usually described as completely misunderstood). The story— and the title — serve only as an enigmatic vessel of this week's (very) personal opinion. And besides I cannot, in good conscience, pass up any opportunity to tell a story.
The story of Pandora goes, as told by Hesiod in significantly different versions: Theogeny and (mostly) Works and Days. The gods and men meet to settle the proper relation between the two groups. Prometheus slaughters an ox to symbolize the relative status of gods and men through distinct portions. Prometheus attempts to trick Zeus into taking bones (covered in attractive fat), leaving the real meat (covered in repulsive bovine stomach) for the group of men. Zeus enraged, retaliates by withholding fire from men, which Prometheus (the Titan) steals and gives to men. Zeus is quoted to say:
"Son of Iapetus, surpassing all in cunning, you are glad that you have outwitted me and stolen fire— a great plague to you yourself and to men that shall be. But I will give men as the price for fire an evil thing in which they may all be glad of heart while they embrace their own destruction."
"an evil thing" being Pandora. Hephaestus, Athene, and Aphrodite are charged to make Pandora (Pandora means “all-gifts”). The jar is associated with Pandora, but the myth does not explicitly state which god provides it or where it comes from. It is, however, integral to Zeus's plan to unleash suffering upon humanity as retribution. Prometheus knowing all too well about bogus gifts (ox portions reference), warns men not to take the gift. But humanity chooses to accept its two gifts, fire and Pandora (along with her jar). Pandora opens the jar unleashing all the evils of the world and guided by the hand of Zeus, closes the lid in time to seal hope in the jar.
Various interpretations can be drawn from this story. Nietzsche had no doubts about Zeus' malicious intentions and the detrimental effect of the “gift” of hope. "Hope is not the sole good in the midst of evil – it is the greatest evil of all"(Nietzche in Human, All Too Human). Some interpret Pandora’s action of replacing the lid as a form of domestication and protection, rather than imprisonment or a trap: keeping hope nearby as a constant human resource. The reader is welcome to interpret, in fact, it is encouraged — on one condition— said interpretation is derived independently of this blog, preferably after finishing the reading.
As alluded to earlier, this story (and interpretations) only serve to mystify this week's message and is in fact only mildly related to the theme of Hope. As a final point, I present a second, vaguely related piece of media—a picture. One of my favorite pictures that I have ever taken. Aptly named "The Shoe."
The vague relation to the theme, if you are wondering, is in the interpretation. I view the image as hope, the shoe is understandably now useless, and probably never hoped to find use as a muse (I stretched the word as far as it can be). And other interpretations have thought the shoe to be a waste of digital space. The reader is still encouraged to draw their own conclusions this time without conditions.
Sometime this week, I was writing in my head —as usual —and I wrote this line:
“And in the end life always finds a way to be miserable.”
I thought of it as an ending, it had to be. A silent sentence that comes after happily ever after, a beginning after the end. Today, the phrase feels like a beginning— and in that sense it feels hopeful.