Profound Thinking Regarding the Soul

Good morning friends,

One of the books I'm reading during my convalescence is "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Pie Society" by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows.

The novel centers around an author in post-WW II London who wrote a series of articles called "Izzy Bickerstaff Goes to War". As the accolades and reviews come in, so does the correspondence from one Guernsey Literary and Potato Pie Society in response to the question "How did reading provide solace to you during the war?" Guersey was a town occupied by the Germans during the war, the residents were forced to grow only what they were told they could so that resources could be directed to fortifying the German soldiers.

The book reads as a series of letters to and from the author regarding the occupation, books, and life in general. I was particularly taken by two references in the book. The first is a piece by Thomas Carlyle, in Past and Present, found on pg. 101 of "Potato Peel".

~Does it ever give thee pause, that men used to have a soul - not as hearsay alone or as a figure of speech; but as a truth that they knew, and acted upon! Verily it was another world then. . .but yet it is a pity that we have lost the tidings of our souls. . .we shall have to go in search of them again, or worse in all ways shall befall us.

The other passage, found on g. 102, describes a fictional (near as my research can find) discussion that occured during an annual meeting of The Friends of Sigmund Freud Society:

Dr. Stubbins addressed the assembly and questioned the gathering thus:

~"Did any of you ever think that along about the time that the notion of a SOUL gave out, Freud popped up with the EGO to take its place? The timing of the man! Did he not pause to reflect? Irresponsible old coot! It is my belief that men must spout this twaddle about egos, because they fear they have no soul! Think upon it!"