Weschler continues his personal
adventure of wonder in this next section of the book, flipping through as many
sources he can find as Wilson’s museum overtakes him. The parallels he finds
between earlier collections and Wilson’s museum are too close to ignore, and
Weschler explores these places almost frantically. He even uses of the analogy
of being infected by the spore, and in this case the spore is wonder. He seems
not to care, and neither does the reader, about the facts anymore. The
insatiable need to be in awe cannot be taken away.
The
Renaissance played a huge role in the development of museums, and I loved the
idea of the universe made private, that the “ideal gentleman” would collect
items of wonder. My idea of Wilson’s exhibit has developed and changed so much
over the course of the book that I now have that same sense of excitement to
discover. Wilson, who once appeared so strange, now is revealed as the true
everyman; his sense of wonder is simply expressed more fully. Finding America
shocked Europe for a century and a half; Wilson’s “Cabinet of Wonders” did the
same for Weschler, and I believe his intention in writing this book is not to
convey facts, but to instill a sense of wonder in the reader. This may seem
basic, but it’s something important enough for humans to rediscover, and live
in just as often as we live in facts.
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