This sounds like a well-blended 'Bear' and 'Epilogue' mix, doesn't it? Edges a little more to Epilogue, but still, all three sound really similar, the main difference located in the chorus.
Was that on purpose or on accident? I like to think it was done deliberately; as if Prologue and Epilogue are parallel stories to each other.
'Prologue' appears to be the events just after the beginning of the album- when it was told that our patient (I'm going to call her Sylvia for simplicity's sake) was diagnosed with a terminal illness. It's hard to interpret, at least, for me, so I may go about it a little literally- with prior knowledge that Sylvia is a cancer patient (bone cancer, to be specific), she probably knew she had the cancer even when she was a child (it was most likely inactive until the events of the album, however). At this point, they're both supportive of each other and Peter Silberman is trying his hardest to support her. In other words, their love hasn't gone downhill yet.
However, he doesn't know how she feels. He cannot relate to her anger towards herself being sick nor can he relate to her own self-criticsm and guiltiness towards that dead boy. In 'Wake', which is, I believe, a song dedicated to his friends who he shut out when caring for Sylvia, he states, 'Some patients can't be saved; but that burden's not on you'. I feel that this line is from his friends and co-workers; as kind as these words are, however, they do not understand how he feels at this point.
By Epilogue- which, I believe is several weeks or even months after Sylvia's death- an interesting change occurs.
Prologue and Epilogue are closely tied to each other.
Pro and Ep repeat the same line- "[His/Your] face is up against [yours/mine] and [you're/I'm] too terrified to speak ".
Sylvia must have gone through a similar experience to Peter's when she was younger. She must have gotten treatment for her underlying cancer when she was young, and might have met someone who was going through similar- if not, worse- situations. They might have gotten close as friends; obviously, however, he died and she felt guilty. (At this point, I'm kind of just inferring, without any evidence- I don't think she felt guilty for causing his death. I think she felt guilty because, maybe, she thought she should've been a better friend, should've made him happier, etc).
In 'Prologue', Peter says "I won't pretend I understand, because I can't and know I never will."
While it's not stated in Epilogue that he has now understood her (or at least, is able to relate to her at some level) at this point, it's certainly implied, especially in that repetitive line.
I believe that this entire album's story did not consist only of the downfall of what was once a perfect relationship- I believe it was a relationship that was imperfect in the first place, got worse, and, morbidly, came to a satisfied end. Sylvia and Peter most likely did not see eye to eye during her illness- her anger towards him and his ever-growing frustration and exasperation with having to put up with it- he never understood why she did what she did. He questions it constantly throughout the album. He knows it's because she's angry that she was ill- however, he doesn't relate to the feeling.
By Epilogue, he has understood her- he has realized the feeling of losing someone so close, and the feeling of anger towards oneself for not being able to keep them from that fate. Now, he can truly come to terms with not only the death of his beloved but the death of their relationship.
Several things, however, I can't make good sense of- could someone explain?
He makes several remarks about Sylvia putting her head under a stove, or under a house; he also makes several remarks about relating dreams to stories and nightmares being woven. I know it is significant, however I can't...seem to say what they represent.
The entire album isn't just about Sylvia the former lover or Sylvia the patient. There are references all over the place to Sylvia Plath and her (semi-autobiographical) novel, The Bell Jar. Sylvia Plath ended up taking he life by sticking her head in the oven, an event referenced in this song, Thirteen, and Sylvia. In Plath's novel, her fictional counterpart crawled under the basement of her mother's house before attempting to overdose on sleeping pills and almost succeeded in killing herself before she was discovered by her mother.
The entire album isn't just about Sylvia the former lover or Sylvia the patient. There are references all over the place to Sylvia Plath and her (semi-autobiographical) novel, The Bell Jar. Sylvia Plath ended up taking he life by sticking her head in the oven, an event referenced in this song, Thirteen, and Sylvia. In Plath's novel, her fictional counterpart crawled under the basement of her mother's house before attempting to overdose on sleeping pills and almost succeeded in killing herself before she was discovered by her mother.
"It's all connected
In those complicated nightmares that you wove"
"It's all connected
In those complicated nightmares that you wove"
...
This might just be a reference to Sylvia Plath writing her descent into depression in The Bell Jar and how she and the character Esther Greenwood are actually connected. The nightmarish perceptions that Greenwood experiences are actually Plath's own experiences.
This sounds like a well-blended 'Bear' and 'Epilogue' mix, doesn't it? Edges a little more to Epilogue, but still, all three sound really similar, the main difference located in the chorus. Was that on purpose or on accident? I like to think it was done deliberately; as if Prologue and Epilogue are parallel stories to each other. 'Prologue' appears to be the events just after the beginning of the album- when it was told that our patient (I'm going to call her Sylvia for simplicity's sake) was diagnosed with a terminal illness. It's hard to interpret, at least, for me, so I may go about it a little literally- with prior knowledge that Sylvia is a cancer patient (bone cancer, to be specific), she probably knew she had the cancer even when she was a child (it was most likely inactive until the events of the album, however). At this point, they're both supportive of each other and Peter Silberman is trying his hardest to support her. In other words, their love hasn't gone downhill yet. However, he doesn't know how she feels. He cannot relate to her anger towards herself being sick nor can he relate to her own self-criticsm and guiltiness towards that dead boy. In 'Wake', which is, I believe, a song dedicated to his friends who he shut out when caring for Sylvia, he states, 'Some patients can't be saved; but that burden's not on you'. I feel that this line is from his friends and co-workers; as kind as these words are, however, they do not understand how he feels at this point. By Epilogue- which, I believe is several weeks or even months after Sylvia's death- an interesting change occurs. Prologue and Epilogue are closely tied to each other. Pro and Ep repeat the same line- "[His/Your] face is up against [yours/mine] and [you're/I'm] too terrified to speak ". Sylvia must have gone through a similar experience to Peter's when she was younger. She must have gotten treatment for her underlying cancer when she was young, and might have met someone who was going through similar- if not, worse- situations. They might have gotten close as friends; obviously, however, he died and she felt guilty. (At this point, I'm kind of just inferring, without any evidence- I don't think she felt guilty for causing his death. I think she felt guilty because, maybe, she thought she should've been a better friend, should've made him happier, etc). In 'Prologue', Peter says "I won't pretend I understand, because I can't and know I never will." While it's not stated in Epilogue that he has now understood her (or at least, is able to relate to her at some level) at this point, it's certainly implied, especially in that repetitive line. I believe that this entire album's story did not consist only of the downfall of what was once a perfect relationship- I believe it was a relationship that was imperfect in the first place, got worse, and, morbidly, came to a satisfied end. Sylvia and Peter most likely did not see eye to eye during her illness- her anger towards him and his ever-growing frustration and exasperation with having to put up with it- he never understood why she did what she did. He questions it constantly throughout the album. He knows it's because she's angry that she was ill- however, he doesn't relate to the feeling. By Epilogue, he has understood her- he has realized the feeling of losing someone so close, and the feeling of anger towards oneself for not being able to keep them from that fate. Now, he can truly come to terms with not only the death of his beloved but the death of their relationship.
Several things, however, I can't make good sense of- could someone explain? He makes several remarks about Sylvia putting her head under a stove, or under a house; he also makes several remarks about relating dreams to stories and nightmares being woven. I know it is significant, however I can't...seem to say what they represent.
The entire album isn't just about Sylvia the former lover or Sylvia the patient. There are references all over the place to Sylvia Plath and her (semi-autobiographical) novel, The Bell Jar. Sylvia Plath ended up taking he life by sticking her head in the oven, an event referenced in this song, Thirteen, and Sylvia. In Plath's novel, her fictional counterpart crawled under the basement of her mother's house before attempting to overdose on sleeping pills and almost succeeded in killing herself before she was discovered by her mother.
The entire album isn't just about Sylvia the former lover or Sylvia the patient. There are references all over the place to Sylvia Plath and her (semi-autobiographical) novel, The Bell Jar. Sylvia Plath ended up taking he life by sticking her head in the oven, an event referenced in this song, Thirteen, and Sylvia. In Plath's novel, her fictional counterpart crawled under the basement of her mother's house before attempting to overdose on sleeping pills and almost succeeded in killing herself before she was discovered by her mother.
"It's all connected In those complicated nightmares that you wove"
"It's all connected In those complicated nightmares that you wove"
...
This might just be a reference to Sylvia Plath writing her descent into depression in The Bell Jar and how she and the character Esther Greenwood are actually connected. The nightmarish perceptions that Greenwood experiences are actually Plath's own experiences.