At the time, the Fifth Earl was extremely old and looking into the secrets of long life. One evening, Obispo visits Jeremy, who reads to him from the diaries of the Fifth Earl of Gonister, written in the late eighteenth century. According to Propter's philosophy, he is trapped in ego-based 'human' behavior that prevents him from reaching enlightenment. Because he views himself as a man of science, he has no qualms about deriving pleasure or happiness at others' expense. Obispo views science as the ultimate good and is cynical and dismissive of ordinary notions of morality. Obispo and Pete to do, as nothing but 'a couple of extra lifetimes of potential evil.' ĭr. Propter also says, 'Time and craving, craving and time-two aspects of the same thing and that thing is the raw material of evil.' For this reason, he sees any effort to extend human lifespans-the very work that Stoyte had hired Dr. Propter does so without upsetting anyone or creating evil.

Though other characters achieve conventional success, even happiness, only Mr. This is essentially Huxley's own position. So that even intelligence is not sufficient as an adjunct to good will there must also be the recollection which seeks to transform and transcend intelligence. For, if individuality is not absolute, if personalities are illusory figments of a self-will disastrously blind to the reality of a more-than-personal consciousness, of which it is the limitation and denial, then all of every human being's efforts must be directed, in the last resort, to the actualisation of that more-than-personal consciousness. every individual is called on to display not only unsleeping good will but also unsleeping intelligence. Propter, a childhood acquaintance of Stoyte's who lives on a small nearby farm and works to improve the lot of the mistreated and underpaid laborers Stoyte has working for him. Other characters are Virginia, Stoyte's young mistress and Mr.

Pordage's presence highlights Stoyte's shallow attitude toward the precious works of art that he affords himself.

Jeremy Pordage, an English archivist and literature expert, is brought in to archive a collection of rare books. Obispo and his assistant Pete to research the secrets to long life in carp, crocodiles, and parrots. Stoyte, in his sixties and conscious of his mortality, is desperate to stave off death. Each character represents a different attitude toward life. The action revolves around a few characters brought together by a Hollywood millionaire, Jo Stoyte.

Every summer after