Zero and Asylum in the Snow by Lawrence Durrell

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Zero and Asylum in the Snow by Lawrence Durrell What is madness? Is madness a brain disorder or a chemical imbalance? On the other hand, is it an expressed behavior that is far different from what society would believe is "normal"? Lawrence Durrell addresses these questions when he explores society's response to madness in his short story pair "Zero and Asylum in the Snow," which resembles the nearly incoherent ramblings of a madman. In these stories, Durrell portrays how sane, or lucid, people cannot grasp and understand the concept of madness. This inability to understand madness leads society to fear behavior that is different from "normal," and subsequently, this fear dictates how they deal with it. These responses include putting a name to what they fear and locking it up in an effort to control it. Underlying all, however, Durrell repeatedly raises the question: who should define what is mad? In line with these questions, Durrell emphasizes that the inability to understand often leads to fear. Moreover, with little or no knowledge of an event or concept, people tend to feel powerless and out of control. Without this necessary understanding, they are unable to have any influence on the situation. One such situation is madness, which is little understood, and the source of madness virtually unknown. People often fear madness, and try to avoid others who seem "weird," different, or exhibit some sign of madness. The people who fear are "poor cattle, they do not understand" ("Zero" 266), and "they will never discover…for they have no faith" ("Zero" 264). Durrell encourages them to put away their fears and stop looking for a logical explanation to "madness": "Come. Enter into the creative activity in which you do not need your understandings. Do not mistake truth for the possessive process any longer – ratiocination, knowledge" ("Zero" 252; emphasis added). Durrell believes that not everything needs a "rational" and "logical" explanation. Furthermore, though "madness" cannot be completely explained, it does not need to be feared. The old man in the asylum attempts to understand, "look[ing] profoundly cautious, asking questions, and gathering the answers" ("Zero" 268), and he comes close to understanding the narrator. However, his fear keeps him from grasping the truth: "For the first time there is an understanding in him, but it is hidden in fear" ("Zero" 258). Throughout the two stories, there are many instances where Durrell portrays this fear brought by a lack of understanding.

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