A Typical Day In The Life Of Two Western Intellectuals

When the Transparent Ironist was in India in 2003, a friend of his had asked him what it was like to live as an Intellectual. (Which reminded him of an old pop song, 'Living Like A Movie-Star, Do You Really Know What They Are?') He gave his friend the following typical sample of an erudite conversation between two western Intellectuals to give him an 'idea' of how such Intellectuals carry on with their charmed existence.

Jacques : Did you receive my text?

Josephine: Sure I did!

Jacques : So it is true?

Josephine : Yes, it is. I have de/constructed our baby.

Jacques : I see.

Josephine : You see? Is that all you can do, you shameless pig? You have nothing to say?

Jacques : Well, I could speak something. But then there is always this gap, this emptiness, and this chasm between what I say and what I intend to say. I can never communicate any stable meaning to you through my words. I am forever trapped inside my words and I cannot go beyond them. And there is nobody to rescue me from the prison-house of my language. How sad my life is! Boo-hoo!

Josephine : I see.

Jacques : You see? Is that all you can do, you cryptic siren? You have nothing to write?

Josephine : Well, I could write something. But then all my texts are nothing but a free play of my words, and I must keep on deferring myself. I am as trapped inside my thoughts as you are inside your words.

Jacques : So you always knew that you were absent even in your presence?

Josephine : Well, I always sensed that this was just an endless chain of metaphors. But I was just hoping that you would keep up the appearances.

Jacques : And what have you realised now?

Josephine : That I was never your wife in the first place!

Jacques : Ah! Touche! Bravo! Bravo! For a paradox like that I could have married you a thousand times over! Shall we play this game again?

Josephine : Of course.

Jacques : Hold on, let me get some more Nescafe.

Josephine : Yes, you do that, and I need to answer that call from Harvard in the meantime.