Reading Group: Das Kapital

A commenter and acquaintance, Zanthorus, has recently attempted elsewhere to set up a two-man reading group of Das Kapital III. In solidarity with this idiosyncratic task, we shall write an account of a hypothetical two-man reading group of 'Das Kapital.' Which one, you might ask? The Capital Inicial album, of course.

The opening invitation:

'Hey bros I think we gotta have a real reading group. One on one, after the bell, in the parking lot. About Das Kapital. - Cain.'

The reading group:

Dramatis personae (or, '1200 years a slave'):

Cain: An enthusiastic fan of Das Kapital. 10 DEX, 48 INT, etc.

Lars Blake: A right bounder. 40 STR, 20 DEX, etc.

The discussion:

Resurreiçäo 

Cain: An interesting title.

Lars Blake: You could say they're opening on the stronger foot, eh?

Cain: Yep.

Lars Blake: This song presents a vision of chaos and disharmony across the world. It presents a world of incoherent demands, that they are expected to consider in composing the album.

Cain: They start by talking about a 'crown' and 'steering wheel,' as well as a 'glorious' life determined in a 'minute.' Could it be that 'Diana' is being alluded to in this album?

Lars Blake: That seems likely. How did you feel about Diana's death?

Cain: She was asking for it, I reckon.

Lars Blake: Look, now everybody hates you and is considering not reading this any more.

Cain: In this manner a glorious life is trivialised in a minute.

Lars Blake: How apt.

Cain: Ahem?

Lars Blake: I mean, 'Cool, that.'

Cain: Exactly.

Lars Blake: In any case, the song is slightly laid-back musically. This might be in part because they wish to focus on the message.

Cain: Well -

Lars Blake: Nah, Cain, you're talking too much. Give the blank, white space a chance.

: Lars Blake.

Cain: Did it just say your name?

Lars Blake: The blank space just wrote my name. Does it usually do that?

Cain: Let's check...

: Cain.

Cain: Exceptional.

Lars Blake: I mean, this is cool, but nobody's reading now because you offended them with the thing about Diana.

Cain: What about communists?

Lars Blake: Of course the communists are offended, they revere Diana as well apparently. Like, Diana is dead. So she's oppressed or unfortunate or something, right?

Cain: Good point.

Lars Blake: So the communists support her, mostly.

Cain: I once had a two-person reading group with Taylor Swift, actually. She couldn't read the book, so we quickly called it off. I wonder if this happens often?

Lars Blake: They mention that if you despair, then no-one is with you.

Cain: That sets up for the later song, 'Como se sente,' about despair.

Lars Blake: So this song is fairly appropriate for an opening. It does in some way consider the music itself, and the varying demands made of it that lead in no clear direction. You could hence call it slightly 'despairing.'

Cain: At the same time, it might seem slightly passive or indeterminate. It is noticing conflicts, nonetheless it does not indicate clearly a pathway towards deriving something from this.

Lars Blake: Of course, the title is appropriate due to this name being derived from old sources.

Cain: Still, it does trace a process of division akin to the rashes formed by eczema. Something that they are to treat as unified and revere, is nonetheless divided. Hence it might seem insubstantial.

Lars Blake: So you could say that this album does in some ways speak of itself.

Cain: Alright, yep. Hence, songs like 'Como se sente' might be expected to be personal or specific in some way.

Lars Blake: Anyway, this song had a fairly simplistic structure in some ways, though a slightly obscure and complex message. Not that much to say yet. We see here the divisions in things, or that what society posits as unified is actually divided and a mass of conflicting stimuli.

Cain: Which could hence be time-consuming.

Lars Blake: Yes, although people are instead expected to throw themselves into it without hesitation and passionately.

Cain: Which is only ultimately to tear themselves apart, as one thrown to sharks.

Lars Blake: Indeed. 'Love will tear us apart.' That seems likely to be how this kind of reading group will end, it's unlikely we'll reach the end of the album.

Cain: Nah, it's important that we finish Das Kapital. It could be instructive.

Lars Blake: If you said yes, then who would say no?

Cain: God, probably.

Lars Blake: Would they mean it?

Cain: It would be a metaphor.

Lars Blake: So could you freely ignore it?

Cain: Essentially.

Depois Da Meia-Noite

Cain: So this song is called 'After Midnight,' and -

Lars Blake: AHAHAHAHAHA

Cain: Um, excuse me?

Lars Blake: AHAHAHAHAHAHA

Cain: Alright, can anyone else say something about this song?

: Cain.

Lars Blake: AHAHAHAHAHAHA

Cain: Alright, that was kinda funny. Like, just a bit.

Lars Blake: AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Cain: This is too much, though. Although I've said this before.

Lars Blake: AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA