The Symbolic World 413 - Heidi White - The Divided Soul: Duty and Desire in Literature and Life
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Sep 25, 2025 Join author and educator Heidi White as she delves into the essence of her book, exploring the tension between duty and desire through literature and life. Heidi analyzes the prodigal son, illustrating how this age-old narrative reflects our inner conflicts. She discusses how stories from pop culture and classics reveal this duality, exemplifying characters like Iron Man and Captain America. With deep insights, Heidi invites listeners to reconcile their desires and duties for holistic joy, culminating in the unifying message of Christ's sacrificial love.
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Primal Division Of Duty And Desire
- Heidi White identifies the primal human fracture as the division between duty and desire originating in Eden.
- She argues that this split is replayed across literature and psychology, shaping most stories and inner conflicts.
Prodigal Son Sparked The Book
- Heidi recounts her godfather's remark that every life story boils down to the prodigal son parable which sparked her book.
- She describes recognizing both the older-brother duty and prodigal desire within herself and in many stories.
Duty And Desire Were Meant To Unite
- True duty and true desire are meant to converge: desire for paradise and duty to keep commandments.
- Distortions attach desire and duty to lesser objects, producing chaos and suffering instead of joy.
