Introduction:
The essay entitled The Pleasures of Ignorance is an extract from the same title. The essayist describes the ignorance of many people living in this world. Sometimes it is surprising that the people are completely ignorant about different phenomenon of nature. The essayist is of the view that this type of ignorance is not always bad. The essayist also observes that a great proportion of the world population remains ignorant of many things. The people are born in this world but do not grow in their knowledge and die with a little knowledge. In the present essay he also compares between the man of city and man of village. The man of city passes a modern life in the city, but he also does not have knowledge of petty things and his surroundings. It is very pitiable to see that the people are ignorant even of their natural environment. They do not have knowledge about the birds, trees, fruits, flowers and seasons. According to the essayist, due to being ignorant of many things, we get a sort of pleasure while discovering.
Thought - content:
The essay begins with the surprise of the essayist when he finds someone ignorant in such a vast continent. He (the essayist) accepts ignorance a common thing. In his opinion many men and women live in this world and die with a little knowledge. They cannot make a difference between two trees and the songs of two birds . The modern man is an exception of it. This ignorance is due to not observing the things and their activities carefully. However this ignorance is not pitiable. Due to this, man gets the pleasure of discovery. The essayist says that if half of life of a man has passed without seeing a cuckoo, he feels happy to see it flying from one wood to another wood and from one tree to another tree. The happiness of the naturalist also depends on the lack of his knowledge and because of being ignorant he discovers new things. Assuredly the men of science have no reason as yet to weep over their lost ignorant.
The essayist also shows his own ignorance when he says that he knows a little about African cuckoo, He observes that man cannot get knowledge in every sphere. Further the essayist talks about memory. There are many occasions when bad memory gives us a great trouble. For instance, if someone has a strong desire to know the reality and he is very far from any kind of entertainment, this kind of trouble comes into existence. He says that there is no more to say about bad memory than the good memory. Next the essayist tells about the ignorance of an uneducated man. An ordinary man does not know how a telephone works. He accepts everything the miracles of religious preachings of great saints. Some people, without knowing the reality of anything, follow the mythological examples such as it is imagined life after death. Some people live under this impression that as they grow, they know everything through their maturity and experience. There is no bottom of the well of knowledge. It is everlasting. Finally the essayist gives an example of great philosopher Socrates. He, in the age of seventy, felt that he was still ignorant.
Ignorance, a Sort of Pleasure:
The essayist observes that sometimes ignorant provides immense pleasure. Due to this, we get the pleasure of discovery. If we are sufficiently ignorant, every fact of nature comes to us each spring. If our half of life has passed without seeing a cuckoo and we think its voice as wanderer's voice, we feel happy to see it flying from one wood to another wood and from one tree to another tree. We also feel happy to see when it flutters its tail.
Serious Pleasure and Happiness of the Naturalist:
It would be wrong to say that the naturalist does not get pleasure at the sight of birds’ life, but he constantly feels this pleasure. His joy is serious and he gets it from his hard work. Despite of his intense knowledge, he considers himself ignorant until he observes everything with his own eyes. He wishes to see unique sight of the female cuckoo. He is extremely eager to know whether the female cuckoo lays her egg on the ground or takes it in her bill to the nest in which it is destined to breed infanticide. He wears a special kind of glasses and changes his glasses only to know the right place of the female cuckoo's laying eggs.
Scientific Attitude of Observing:
The practical behaviour of the men of science is entirely different. They want to discover anything through the right directions and sources. They look for the solidity of everything. They want to establish their facts on the base of reality. They do not run after imaginative things. They do not believe anything until they see it with their own eyes. Hence, they can never discover and know that the fairy who dwelt in the mountains, sang a song for Ulysses and which song she sang Dreams, imaginative things and omens are nothing for them as miracles.
Limitless of Knowledge and Sudden Appearance, a Surprising Thing:
Man’s knowledge is limited. Especially man is related to his own sphere. Our knowledge about all subjects whether it is related to the sun or the moon or the name of the flowers, is immature. Even one may be ignorant of the appearance of the routine things. The things of their particular routine can never change their place and time. Sometimes these routine things become the things of surprising. For instance the essayist thinks that the new moon is also a thing of wonder for those who are well introduced or familiar with its routine or time table. Like this the spring and blossoming the flowers is also a thing of wonder for everyone.
Trouble due to Bad Memory:
Sometimes bad memory becomes a great trouble when one is expected to narrate true and real thing. If someone has a strong desire to know the reality and he does not like mentioning something in twisted manner nor does he need any kind of entertainment, this kind of trouble comes into existence. A man of bad memory can repeat one thing throughout his lie. Even the man of the worst memory can preserve some matter in his mind like that sheep which leaps through the bush and leaves a few wisps of wool on the thorn.
Language and Style:
In this essay there is great clarity and lucidity of language. His great fondness of epigrammatic sentence is also found here . He has maintained the balance of his sense. His style in this essay is truly personal which keeps his identify and individuality intact and preserved. He has also given some references related to eminent authors and philosophers such as Montaigne, Jowett, Aristotle and Socrates. He has made a great use of conditional and complex sentences. Some sentences are long, but they do not create any difficulty for an average reader.
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