How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
Her eyes were drawn upwards to the tremendous bronze statue that stood defiant, a mile in the air, at the summit of Government Building, the figure of a bearded man, classically robed, glaring at the sun. At night he was floodlit. A cynosure to ships, man of the sea, Pelagius. But Beatrice-Joanna could remember a time when he had been Augustine. (1.3.4)
Later in The Wanting Seed it becomes clear that when Britain is in a Pelphase, the Government Building statue is thought to be a statue of Pelagius, whereas, when Britain is in a Gusphase, the statue is thought to be of Augustine. If Beatrice-Joanna can remember a time when the statue was Augustine, and not Pelagius, this suggests that the cycle of social history turns very quickly indeed.
Quote #2
'One achievement of the Anglo-Saxon race,' said Tristram, 'was a parliamentary government, which eventually meant government by party. Later, when it was found that the work of government could be carried on more expeditiously without debate and without the opposition that party government entailed, the nature of the cycle began to be recognized.' (1.4.1)
Is Tristram suggesting that the concept of social and historical "cycles" comes from dictatorial or totalitarian politics, rather than democratic politics? If so, does that imply that Tristram's own beliefs about cyclical history have been shaped by corrupt social views?
Quote #3
'We have a Pelagian phase. Then we have an intermediate phase.' His chalk thickened one arc, then another. 'This leads into an Augustinian phase.; More thickening, and the chalk was back where it had started. 'Pelphase, Interphase, Gusphase, Pelphase, Interphase, Gusphase, and so on, for ever and ever. A sort of perpetual waltz.'(1.4.1)
Elton John would call this the circle of life, but this cyclical model of human history raises important questions. If human societies are bound to turn round and round in a cycle, is there any possibility of progress or real change? Do individual actions matter?