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“The Kindred”
The Meditations are a collection of personal and philosophical writings by the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius. Aurelius was known for being a proponent of Stoic philosophy, which teaches that virtue and patience are key to happiness; Aurelius often encouraged himself to “throw away all idle hopes” and “come to thy own aid.”
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The Meditations Term Timeline in The Plague of Doves
The timeline below shows where the term The Meditations appears in The Plague of Doves. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
8. Town Fever
...to sleep. The only way he can get some rest is by thumbing through The Meditations, which advise him to “throw away idle hopes […] and come to his own aid.”
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...along his dog, a short-haired terrier. For his part, Joseph Coutts only brings along The Meditations and a picture of Dorea in a locket, as if he knows he will need...
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...and her honesty makes Coutts decide to marry her. Coutts rereads Marcus Aurelius in his Meditations: “thou hast embarked, thou hast made the voyage, thou hast come to shore; get out!”...
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20. Demolition
...refuge in his father’s law library and the works of the Stoic philosophers (including the Meditations).
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