James Twiddy The Author and the Pale Criminal

What perhaps describes Friedrich Nietzsche best is an all encompassing Humanities thinker. Extensively his work encompasses a commentary (often critical), of almost every aspect of human behaviour and interaction. The shiftless label which has been most frequently imprinted onto Nietzsche is Philosopher. One cannot help but consider this as a blanket term. Despite the comforting sentiments that this allows, one cannot help but be concerned as to how extensively restrictive it is when considering Nietzsches contribution towards the disciplines. Philosopher, Sociologist, Psychologist, Theologian, Historian, are appropriate labels which have been applied to Nietzsche depending on the context of viewing his work. One term however, which is perhaps overlooked by many is Author. Through this term is scarcely applied it is perhaps less surprising when considering his influences. Nietzsche extensively made references to ancient Greek mythology; The Birth of Tragedy his first work indeed uses the performance of the tragedies of the ancient Greeks as template and he adapts this particular model as an explanation of how humanity is disconnected to reality, it is then even extended to his conceptions of modernist society. Showing therefore Nietzsches willingness to use Greek Tragedies as a metaphor, and effective in their own right perhaps draws attention to the surprising lack of actual direct referential Greek philosophy within his writings. In addition to this it is apparent that Nietzsche was insurmountably influenced by his contempt of Christianity. Even in the 21st century it is still considered highly controversial to discuss the Bible as fiction, but in his work Thus Spoke Zarathrusta Nietzsche does so. With regards to Christianity and controversy Nietzsche will perhaps be remembered for the predominate theme in his texts God is dead (Blackwell Publishing 2006: 224). Although first mentioned in The Gay Science, one must consider its implications in Thus Spoke Zarathustra, considered by many to be the seminal text within Nietzsches particular cannon. It is perhaps so widely recognised amongst his other works due to the style in which it is written. Although informative on aspects of human nature, the text is one which can easily be considered as a piece of literature due to its linguistic merit. It begins with Zarathustra descending from the top of a mountain after 10 year period of contemplation, which in addition to its linguistic merits makes the text appear like a fairytale, and indeed upon empirical inspection however would perhaps resembles the fables of Aesop. Based on this idea that indeed Thus Spoke Zarathustra is a series of stand alone parables, hypothetically one could ignore the wider implications of its sociological and theological importance. Observing closely, the fate of the rope-dancer walker in the prologue, one can interpret this as a semantic fable. The rope-dancer had begun his work: he had emerged through a small door and was walking across the rope which has been streached between two towers and thus hung over the market square and the people. Just as he was halfway () a jester jumped out and followed the man with rapid steps () when he was only one step behind him a terrible thing happened () he uttered a shriek like a devil and jumped over the man who was in his way. () [The rope-dancer] lost his head and the rope: he jettisoned his pole and shot faster than it, like a whirlwind of arms and legs down into the depths (Oxford 2005:17). As the rope dancer lays dying in the street filed with remorse he says to Zarathustra I am not much more than a beast who has been taught to dance(Oxford 2005:18). Zarathustra then speaks to the rope dancer and then explains that he made danger his calling: [and] there is nothing there to despise (Oxford 2005:87). With no conception of any wider Nietzschean implications, these events could easily be interpreted as Zarathustra simply comforting a dying man. Furthermore we are led to understand that Zarathustra admires such a man for his ambition and bravery. However, by looking at the title Nietzsche has bestowed upon the rope-dancer we can indeed further understand the wider implications of these events. Dancing is a concept Nietzsche frequently refers to. The first reference can be traced in his first published work The Birth of Tragedy, Dionysian emotions awake, which as they intensify, cause the subjective to vanish into complete self forgetfulness.. In the German Middle Ages, singing and dancing crowds where whirled from place to

James Twiddy The Author and the Pale Criminal place under the same Dionysian impulse, In these dancers of St John and St Vitus, we rediscover the Bacchic choruses of the Greeks (Dover Publications 1995:4) Even in the beginning of his writings Nietzsche has predominately utilised mythology, and in this particular instance, the Greek god Dionysus. Nietzsche utilizes Dionysus as a way of explaining momentary intoxicating pleasure something human beings are prone to seek. Dionysus, is the god representative of indulgence, excess, intoxication and instinct. What is important to remember though is that these particular urges are base, and perhaps most significantly natural. Upon returning to the rope-dancer, the hermeneutic choice of phrasing, rope dancer, is therefore self referential. From this simple choice of phrasing and from understanding the wider Nietzschean connotations of dancing, we understand what Zarathustra means when he speaks to the rope-dancer before his death. By making his life one in which danger is his calling, the feelings he feels whilst walking across the tightrope are base and natural, opposed to the falsehood of reality Nietzsche so vehemently opposed. From the fable or perhaps parable, of the rope dancer above it shows the importance of considering Nietzsches whole canon of work to in order to fully understand its meaning. The obvious danger with this however is that upon reading this, one may not understand all the implications that Nietzsche is trying to convey. Due to the style in which Thus Spoke Zarathrusta is presented it would perhaps be easy to dismiss this and all the other passages within the text as inconsequential fiction. These implications endanger all literary texts with the difficulty of being considered irrelevant. From Nietzsche reputation however It is almost unimaginable to consider Thus Spoke Zarathustra solely as a work of fiction. As a consequence philosophys own tight rope will always walk in-between that of Science and Literature. Therefore if any text is considered as literature, simply due to its fictitious nature it carries with it a burden of fallacy. In his essay Philosophy and/of/as Literature, Danto highlights the complexities of literature conveying anything deeper than a story. It is within this essay Danto draws our attention to a concept known as The Referential fallacy. A device implying that the only wider referencing within the field of literature is additional literature, If there is an external reference, it is not reality far from it! Any such reference it to other texts. (Columbia UP: 1985:71) Danto also raises another interesting concept within his essay, albeit for a somewhat minimal clause, he considers the perspective of the Bible as literature, He then discusses the concept of the Bibles written style as a case for its authenticity, in contrast with the Koran. The Bible being offensive to Literary taste (Columbia UP, 1985:65), thus proving its status of a collection of eyewitness accounts, opposed to the Koran transcend[ing] in its beauty the powers of human expressiveness () [because it was] dictated by and ange (Columbia UP, 1985:65). From this Danto has made an excellent case here, style as a mechanism for judging authenticity is ultimately ambiguous, and therefore philosophical texts delivered in a literary style deserve examination. As mentioned earlier Danto briefly hypothesises the connotations of the bible being considered as literature, the point he makes however is simply a small one of literary style, but when concerning Thus Spoke Zarathustra as a piece of literature it is of course explicit how often Nietzsche himself refers to the Bible. For example the opening of Thus Spoke Zarathrusta is immediately comparable, to The Temptation of Christ, And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights he was afterward an hungered. (Oxford 1997, Matthew 4:2:5). Christ spends a contemplation period of forty days and nights in the dessert, Zarathustra on the other hand gathered his wisdom over a ten year period. The simple mathematical comparison is the dramatic difference between the two time periods, and it carries the implication that Jesus ill prepared was ill prepared for his preaching. Nietzsches contempt for Christianity is of course no secret, Zarathustra himself declares in the prologue that God is dead (Oxford 2005:11). From this onset as well as the stylish connotations it would appear that Thus Spoke Zarathustra is a critique of the bible, and potentially holy books, as well as other religions. Furthermore there are many additional comparisons which can be drawn from looking at both Christ and Zarathustra. For example Zarathustra ridicules many dogmatic conceptions of Christianity and indeed Jesus teachings. The all too familiar scene of the last supper is parodied in the final book of Thus Spoke Zarathustra.

James Twiddy The Author and the Pale Criminal

During the Biblical last supper Jesus imparts on to his disciples that It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God (Oxford 1997, Matthew 4:4:6). Looking at this passage from Matthew 4:4, we can elicit the well understood Christian belief that faith is the most significant aspect of human existence. Bread is of course nothing more than the food of staple diets, as result pleasure should not be taken if food but in the minimalist humble Christian life of worship with. Gluttony is also declared sinful, and ultimately it is the Christian belief that it is more fulfilling to live by the word of god and not be excess and immediate pleasure. During his own the last supper scene Zarathustra proclaims to his own followers Man does not live on bread alone, but also by the flesh of good lambs, of which I have two (Oxford 2005:248). Swiftly afterwards though, a voluntary beggar challenges these proceedings, Just listen to this glutton Zarathustra Does one repair to caves and high mountains in order to have such meals? (Oxford 2005:248). Zarathustra responds with Stay with your custom you admirable man: crush your grains, drink your water, praise your cooking; as long as it makes you happy! (Oxford 2005:249). Consider that the voluntary beggar as a mascot for Christianity. From this small passage Nietzsche shows his contempt for the humble minimalist attitudes that accompany the doctrine. Additionally, once again the temporal pleasure of the Dionysian is inherent within the writings, Zarathustra is actively encouraging his followers to enjoy the food and live in excess, provided it makes them happy, contrary to the humble nature of the practicing Christian. Based on these hermeneutical interpretations, we can perhaps diagnose that Nietzsches theory on the Dionysian spirit was indeed born out of contempt for Christianity. Additionally in terms of storey telling, this also highlights how vanity is inherent within the doctrine, for the voluntary beggar, shows a sense of hypocritical pride as he condemns others for their gluttony. Expanding on Zarathustras or indeed Nietzsches attitude towards the practice and dogmatism of Christianity, in part six of book one, Zarathustra observes a wise man preaching virtue, It is no simple art to sleep: it is necessary after all to stay awake the whole day before Ten times a day you must overcome yourself: that makes for fine weariness and is opium for the soul Ten truths a day you must discover: else you will be seeking truth at night, and your soul will stay hungry There are few who know this: but one must possess all the virtues in order to sleep well. (Oxford 2005:25). Simply from the Wiseman frequently instructing the crowd to practice aspects of their lives in the specific quantities of ten, we can make the interpretive assumption that this is another reference to Christianity. Instinctively through vague familiarity with the Bible, the storey of the Ten Commandments resonates. Also later the Wiseman asks the rhetorical question Should I covert my neighbours maidservant? (Oxford 2005:25). Which again directly references the tenth commandment () Thou shalt not covert thy neighbours maidservant (Oxford 1997 Exodus 17:90). Zarathustra undermines this by laughing, through simple storey telling Nietzsche indicates to the reader that such conceptions are ridicules. As literature Thus Spoke therefore becomes empowered as a critique or Christianity. Nietzsche has also weaved in the concept of sleep. Which due to its subjective nature, it can be hermeneutically he used this as a tool of ridicule. After his preachings, the wise man would have his followers believe that peaceful sleep is the ultimate accomplishment after a day of virtue. Sleep to many including the wise man resembles peace. Zarathustra however finds the concept ridiculous, for sleep is a time when man is unconscious. Man during this state is not awake and therefore not living. Therefore upon considering this linguistically, sleep as a reward for virtue is not fallacy but an imprisonment. Furthermore, considering the idea of sleep as opium for the soul and given the well documented sedentary nature of opium, during this particular historical period Nietzsche implies that Christianity is an opiate for those who are sleeping. It enslaves those who pursue virtue in a state of sedated autonomy, ruled by nothing more than a fear of a bad nights sleep, One must additionally consider the empowering nature of the false humility. Frequently pictured within Thus Spoke Zarathustra, there are various embodiments of Christianity. Taking the voluntary beggar, and his sense of superiority through his faux humble nature, we see a self empowering individual. By

James Twiddy The Author and the Pale Criminal contrast we see the Wiseman, preaching to a crowd and graciously bestowing his wisdom upon them and electing himself as a leader of men. Conceptually, and through the medium of Nietzsches critique of Christianity we are led to understand that each human being is in a perpetual state of self empowerment. Even the submissive Christian attitudes highlighted above are empowered by an idea of morality thus paradoxically making the voluntary beggar the proudest man of all. One of Nietzsches central themes, his idea of will to power is divulged in his section On Self-overcoming, All that is living is something that obeys. And this is the second thing: whoever cannot obey himself will be commanded () [the third thing] commanding is harder than obeying (Oxford 2005:99). Rosen in his book, The Mask of Enlightenment elaborates, Since Nietzsche regularly identifies life with will to power obedience must be compatible with the expression of this will. [furthermore] will to power contains an inner structure of commanding and obeying. ()Commanding is harder than obeying, because the commander is responsible for () the rank ordering or particular structure that transforms his expression of force into a political entity (Rosen 1995:159) Considering the Wiseman, as the commander, he is representative Christianity pushing itself as a political and additionally social entity. It is therefore the self appointed task of Nietzsche through the literary medium of Thus Spoke Zarathustra to reshape humanitys will to power, into Nietzsche secondary principle concept The Overhuman. The Overhuman is the embodiment of all of Nietzsches teachings, and the goal which he believes human beings should strive towards. The Overhuman, is to be the new symbol to replace Christianity due to their recently deceased patriarch (God is dead after all). Furthermore without religion, and atheism on the ascent, those who desire to be command and obey, will be desperate to find new religions in other areas. This of course is central to Nietzsche fear of mans self investment in society and the state, as opposed to Religion. Behold!, I teach you the Overhuman, during his prologue Zarathustra descends down to the town of Motley Cow, to teach its residents the message of The Overhuman. This is of course prior to the performance of the rope dancer, and Zarathustras proclamations fall upon deaf ears. After the rope dancer suffers his fate, it is in one of the most curious parts of the Zarathustras storey, that the wisdom of the motley jester, (the same one which caused the death of the rope dancer) is imparted upon Zarathustra. Go away from this town Zarathustra he said too many people here hate you. () It was lucky they laughed at you: and verily, you were talking just like a jester. It was lucky you made company with the dead dog [rope dancer]; by abasing yourself like that you saved your own skin (Oxford 2005:19). From this, dialogue the assumption can be made, that humanity is ill prepared for the Overhuman, and thus the towns folk find Zarathustra insensible. It also indicates Nietzsche resignation that few, if any will understand his teachings, affirming the self deployed description of Thus Spoke Zarathrusta as A book for everyone and no-one From looking at both the Bible and Thus Spoke Zarathrusta as Literature, we may now turn to Albert Camus anti-protagonist Meursault, in his novel The Outsider. From the onset we see that Meursalt could be considered embodiment of so many Nietzschean themes. Referring back to the Dionysian paradigm, we are once again confronted with the Greek god of impulse and indulgence, thriving on the temporal pleasures and investment with his physical surroundings. Indicated purely by its frequency (as Meursault himself passes no opinion within the text) we can infer that Meursault has a love of swimming. Furthermore upon visiting his mothers care home, after her death he shows no signs of grief, his only sign of anguish being in a bright room which hurt his eyes. As observed by Thody, The sensuality of the relationship, between Meursault and Mare is, like the pleasure Meursault takes in all aspects of physical experience() When he meets her in the swimming pool, he climbs on to the raft where she is lying and allows his head to lean back on her stomach (1961:45)

James Twiddy The Author and the Pale Criminal As an entity who emphasises his physical sensations over his mental and emotional thought processes, Meursault is the quintessential Dionysian. He is free from any emotional turmoil he may encounter, whilst living in the absurdist world that Nietzsche describes and opposes in Thus Spoke Zarathustra. It is indeed physical discomfort which leads to his crime being committed; indeed it was the cymbals of the sun, clashing against [Meursaults] forehead (Penguin Classics 2000:60), which forces him to pull the trigger. From how Meursault interacts with other characters in the storey, we can additionally infer his freedom from judgement. He becomes close friends with the Raymond, a man who violently abuses women. Upon considering Raymond empirically, he is monstrously immoral, however Meursault still pursues a friendship with him. Also from observing his romantic relationship with Marie, we see that she asks Meursault if he wishes to marry her, he simply replied I didnt mind and we could do if she Marie] wanted to (Penguin Classics 2000:45), indicating that such an event has little or no impact on him. In addition to his preoccupation with his Dionysian feelings Meursault further displays, an absence if not indeed a contempt for the social processes surrounding him. Therefore Meursault carries with him the connotations of Nietzschean teaching, one may even speculate that perhaps Meursault can even be considered in only indirectly to be the Overhuman. To compare this with the fate of Raskalnikov in Dostoyevskis Crime. and punishment, we as readers of literature are to initially find this peculiar. Raskalnikov is a good literary indicator as to the kind of remorse a character can potentially feel. QUOTE?. Regarding Meursaults feelings towards his crime, his lack of concern being associated with the deplorable Raymond and additionally his indifference to the feelings of his romantic interest, the natural explanation for this is that Meursault simply does not understand the implications or judgements of other people. The reason for this is because of the connotations that The Outsider carries as a piece of Literature. We see the redemptive characteristics of Meursault due to the intimate nature of relationship between reader and narrator. Mersalut is arrested, which he again seems utterly indifferent to, the only dismays he feels are of course of a physical nature, he missed his cigarettes, and ultimately felt sick all day (Penguin Classics 2000:76) furthermore Meursault seems indifferent to prison life as he unveils the thought a man whod only lived a day could easily live a hundred years in prison (Penguin Classics 2000:77). Camus lays down the foundations here for in order to show the absurdities of the law, he [examining magistrate] asked if I had chosen a lawyer. I confessed I hadnt and inquired as whether it was necessary to have one. () I thought my case was simple. [The policeman replies] Thats your opinion but this is the law if you dont choose a lawyer yourself we shall appoint one for you automatically I thought this most convenient that the legal system should take care of such details. I told him so. He agreed and said it showed how well the law worked. (Penguin Classics 2000: 63) Meursaults case is simple; he has committed a murder and confessed all the details of it. Despite this the formal process of a trial is still required, and the implications of Meursault having a lawyer assigned to him cannot be understated. Meursaults thought process is a linear one, he has committed a crime and therefore there will be consequences. Given the nature of reality however, Meursaults real trial will be one of his motivations and his character. Thus in having a lawyer assigned to him, opposed to choosing one, Camus presents the notion that the outcome of justice in the courts is dependable on the skill of a lawyer and not on the truth. Camus in the afterward of The Outsider describes Meursault as, Far from lacking all sensibilities, he is driven by a tenacious and therefore profound passion () for an absolute truth (Penguin Classics 2000: 119). Meursault utterly refuses to lie about his crime; he refuses to display false grief that he doesnt feel. The fact that the Arab, prior to being shot was also wielding a knife, is also not mentioned once within the trial. Based upon the legal system, Meursault has a legitimate claim of self defence. Still though Meursault knows that he had only to turn around and it all would [have been] over (Penguin Classics 2000: 60) but motivated by the blistering heat, nothing more step forward and fires the gun. Consequently the perceptions of the court could have been turned in Meursaults favour, however his refusal to lie meant he refused to manipulate the evidence. Also during Meursaults trial it is the character witnesses called during the trial who contribute to his downfall. Firstly a member of staff from his mothers care reveals that he doesnt remember Meursault crying at his mothers funeral, resulting in the jurys horror. Furthermore Marie, desperate to prove

James Twiddy The Author and the Pale Criminal Meursaults innocence unwittingly informs the court that he spent a leisurely day with her the day after his mothers funeral. Finally when the morally abhorrent Raymond is questioned, judge and jury are shocked by this unsavoury character, and condemn Meursaults for his association with him. Leading to the prosecution Lawyers statement of, Not only did this man indulge in the most shameful debauchery on the day after his mothers death, but he needlessly killed a man in order to resolve an intrigue of unconscionable immorality (Penguin Classics 2000:92). Despite the confidence of Meursaults defence attorney, Meursault is sentenced to a public execution. Meursault has been given the strictest sentence possible. The prosecuting attorney has used factors with Meursaults personal life in order to convict him of this sentence, the truth for the prosecution barely seems to matter at all, and from this we can draw a direct comparison with Thus Spoke Zarathustra, in his description of the pale criminal. Your killing you judges, shall be compassion and not revenge. And as you kill, see to it that you yourselves justify life Enemy you shall say, but not evil doer, Sick man you shall say; but not knave; fool you shall say but not sinner And you, scarlet judge, if you were to say out loud all you have already done in your thoughts, everyone would cry out: Away with this filth and poison worm! (Oxford 2005:33). Meursault has been convicted solely for his lifestyle. From looking at the passage above, it is clear that Nietzsche holds the process of law in contempt, and additionally Camus in the afterward of The Outsider paradoxically sums the novel up by saying In our society any man who doesnt cry at his mothers funeral is liable to be condemned to death (Penguin Classics 2000:118). Both Camus and Nietzsche here have acutely analysed the absurdities of the Western European justice system, and its desperation to condemn those for perceived acts of evil. Zarathustra within the chapter on the pale criminal, that the execution within the court of law is an act of revenge. Camus extends this concept with the idea that within a court of law a man is condemned not for his crime but indeed by the reputation of his character. Furthermore, and what is perhaps most disturbing are the connotations of the scarlet judge, as hermeneutically observed by Rosen, Red stands for blood and also for the scarlet robes of a priestly and judicial figure (Rosen 1995:92). Therefore these poison worms, have no interest in justice, just their own unempathic bloodthirsty desire to redeem themselves through the punishment of others. Camus in his Afterward claims that he tried to make [Meursault] represent the only Christ we deserve(Penguin Classics 2000:119).). As mentioned earlier due to his Dionysian nature, and contempt for the fallacies he encounters, Meursault could not only be a Christ figure but also the overhuman. Therefore within The Outsider it is not just Meursault who is on tried and sentenced to death but also Nietzsche, Zarathustra, Jesus and Camus himself. It is only through literature which these proceedings are achievable. Considering Nietzsche and Camus as authors, implies that their storytelling is an attempt at mass communication. The novels they have written novels, serve purposes far wider than that of mere entertainment. Regarding Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Nietzsche of course was all too acutely concerned with its own nature as a written document and its place in the textual histories of both literature and philosophy (Shapiro 1989:42). Nietzsche is of course conscious of all the communicative implications that an artistic work carries. With regards to metaphysical truth, an artistic work can be so easily dismissed, as noted earlier by Danto. As noted by Alderman however the principle agenda behind Nietzsches fairy tale approach is rooted in the concept of drama. Philosophy is, as both Plato and Nietzsche knew all too clearly a kind of drama: the drama of men speaking out the experience of their lives in an attempt to make things clear. So, in this minimal sense, at least, the dramatic structure of Thus Spoke Zarathustra is also the philosophical structure. (Shapiro 1989:42) As mentioned earlier philosophy walks the tightrope between science and art, so by emphasising the drama within Thus Spoke Zarathustra Nietzsche is indirectly making a case for art being an interpretation for life (albeit that the aspect of life he interpreting is indeed that it is a fallacy shrouded in illusion). Thus Spoke Zarathrusta manages to highlight the decline of one false reality, in parodying the bible and making it appear as fiction. He furthermore captures the conceptual nature of Christianitys declination due scientific developments such as Darwinsim. Finally Thus Spoke

James Twiddy The Author and the Pale Criminal Zarathrusta also shows that Nietzsche saw science as a false prophet, opposing the notions of mathematics and science as explanation and instead viewing them as mere interpretations of truth. As observed by Rosen, He [Nietzsche] is entirely correct to show us that mathematics is incapable of pronouncing upon its own nobility, and so that it cannot serve as a paradigm of rationality (Rosen 1995:249). From this we see that Nietzsche has masterminded an undermining of scientific reductivism by writing a novel. Remembering poor Meursault however, the overhuman condemned to death, Nietzsches conceptual victory over science is in essence short lived. In trying to create a new race of human beings (overhumen) he suffers the fate of transformation of the esoteric and the exoteric [leading to] debasement of the first by the second (249). Rosen quite rightly points out that Nietzsches disciples are caricatures [of the overhuman], no additional evidence is required beyond Nietzschean associations with modernist Nazi Germany as proof for the doomed nature of Nietzsches teachings. Nietzsches initial claim of A book for everyone and No-one rings true as resonates as a book so wonderfully misunderstood, not entirely unlike Meursault it is condemned for its wider implications and reputations as opposed to its content. Conclusively Nietzsche has achieved something unique. In creating a fictional character in Zarathustra, he enabled himself to create a novel of philosophy. Nietzsche overcoming as astutely observed by Pippin, if one creates oneself as if a literary character in a novel, gives style to ones character, finds a way to identify oneself with all ones actions. (Pippin 2011:109) Thus Spoke Zarathrusta is the process of Nietzsche creating himself as a literary character, and it is this process which empowers his work. Williams conceptually observes, that human lives can never be directly analysed in conjunction with those of fictional characters because they have a special unity that no real life can have, that the end of them is present at their beginning (2009 17:2:311). Furthermore in addition to this Pippin observes, the character creating the unity of the character in the storey of ones life is so obviously a character himself in the storey he is narrating. (Pippin 2011:111) Therefore Nietzsche can never truly create himself as literary character and thus cannot overcome himself. The empowerment of his message come in the for of Zarathustra for he is a literary character in a novel. As a consequence Zarathustra is able to overcome himself and has the ability to be eternally consistent and deliver Nietzsches teachings. It is because of this that the realms of philosophy in their quest for truth so often take the literary form and a novel like Thus Spoke Zarathustra can act as an agent to ones own attempt at self overcoming. One must then perhaps consider that rather than Thus Spoke Zarathrusta being A book for everyone and no-one it is in fact a book just for Nietzsche and no-one else.
Notes The Outsider, Albert Camus, Translated by Joseph Laredo (Penguin Classics 2000) Nietzsche, Psychology, and First Philosophy, Robert B Pippin (The University of Chicago Press LTD, (2011) Danto Philosophy and/of/as Literature in J. Rajchman and C. West eds. Post-Analytic Philosophy (Columbia UP: 1985) The Outsider in Albert Camus 1913 1960 by Philip Thody (The Macmillan Company 1961) Thus Spoke Zarathrusta, Friedrich Nietzsche, Translated by Graham Parkes, (Oxford University Press 2005) The Birth of Tradgedy, Friedrich Nietzsche, Translated by Clifton P. Fadiman (Dover Publications 1995) Nietzschean Narratives, Gary Shapiro, (Indiana University Press 1989): Secondary Citations from Harold Alderman Nietzsches gift (Athens Ohio, 1977) The Nietzsche Reader, Edited by Keith Ansell Pearson and Duncan Large (Blackwell Publishing 2006) The Mask of Enlightenment, Rosen (Cambridge University Press, 1995) The Bible, Authorized King James Version, (Oxford University Press 1998) Bernard Williams Life as Narrative European Journal of Philosophy 17:2 (2009)