On Redeption and Life's Narrative arc
Drawing and visuals done by me unless specified.
In our CVs and our lives, all of us want to craft a perfect story. We want the hero’s journey, but does such a journey exist?
THE REDEMPTION ARC
Integral to the hero’s journey is the redemption arc. But what does it actually mean to be “redeemed”, to have “changed”, and is that possible? In the age of social media, past mistakes are often uncovered, old vices revealed, old tweets resurfaced[1] –can anyone really be redeemed anymore, or do our mistakes follow us wherever we go?
Malcolm Gladwell explores this in his Revisionist History Podcast (S2E2), the “Road to Damascus”[2]. Gladwell tells the story of the media vilification of ex-foreign terrorist turned CIA informant, whose vilification leads to his blown cover and murder. This is in contrast to the apostle Paul who on the “road to Damascus” has the archetypical redemption arc, from Christian persecutor to one of its greatest evangelists. This analysis ends with a poignant conclusion, questioning whether redemption is possible in our sensationalist and information driven age.
The greatest stories of our time that connect to us on a deeply human level have these redemption arc tropes. For example, Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables, where Jean Valjean turns from former self-centered thief to an altruistic self-sacrificing individual. Other examples abound: entire Star Wars saga (Anakin/Darth Vader/Jin Erso/Kylo Ren), Avatar the Last Airbender (Zuko), AGOT (Jaime Lannister, let’s forget S8), Avengers (Loki), X-men (the themes appear to be ubiquitous in the super-hero genre), and the list goes on. Ironically we applaud these well-crafted tales for displaying some element of humanity which we feel is fundamental to our experience of human nature, yet we are so skeptical of redemption in real life. An example of our strange skepticism to redemptions is that we may invalidate the good deeds of an individual and rationalize that the good is just an effort to atone for former mistakes. But isn’t that exactly what a redemption is?
Metaphysically, we have to ask ourselves the question: what constitutes a human being, how do you define what is “you”? Are you the sum of your choices? We like to think that we are the product of our past choices, but that may not be a static thing. It’s possible that choices change and can change on a moment to moment basis. And if your choices make you who “you” are, and they change constantly –what is the “you” that needs redeeming? On a purely naturalistic and/or materialistic approach, our physical cells turnover over the course of 9 years.
“There isn’t a single bit of any of us –not so much as a stray molecule –that was part of us nine years ago. It may not feel like it, but at the cellular level we are all youngsters” (Bill Bryson, A Short History of Nearly Everything, Chapter 24)
Physically, we aren’t even the same person as we were moments ago, a year ago. This thought isn’t new, philosophers have coined this problem as the problem of Theseus’ ship –how can sameness coexist with change?
“Over the years the ship of Theseus had all its parts replaced plank by plank, nail by nail…so that the ship that continued to sail had all new parts and none of its original parts. Was this ship replaced or repaired? Was it literally the same ship as the original…or a new ship that merely resembled the original one?” (Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview, Moreland, Craig, Ch. 16 –Personal Identity and Life after Death)[3]
“Redemption” and what constitutes the “self” are fundamental concepts in human nature and in our stories. However, these concepts require more critical examination –if we are to better understand ourselves and others. Having a personal view on what constitutes the “self” and the plausibility of redemption is equally important in ensuring that our reactions to redemptions are actually reflective of the worldview we purport to possess.
THE NARRATIVE ARC –What we think redemption and falls are like
Here is what we would commonly think the human life is like from the stories we tell and share:
The arc of the hero– a hero is called to adventure, faces challenges and temptations, has a great revelation by falling into an abyss and having a death and rebirth/redemption experience, the hero transforms, atones for some sin, and returns a changed individual[4].
The arc of the hero’s foil/the fall/the villain –This is simply the opposite of that of the hero’s journey. The trails of the villain are similar to the hero but there is no rebirth experience. Or it is a false rebirth, no true transformation with power and the end is often a tragic one[5].
Image sourced from the wikipedia topic page (footnote 41).
It’s easier to give some examples of a fictional narrative arc to get a better understanding:
Batman vs. his many villains –The origin story of Batman is well known and chronicled in many comic books and famously portrayed Christopher Nolan/Christian Bale’s “Batman Begins” film and trilogy. Bruce Wayne as a child suffers the murder of his parents causing him to go on a life-changing journey. In a turning point he finds the path of revenge to be unfulfilling and takes on the mantle of the Batman to administer true justice for the people. This is contrasted against villains such as the “Joker” who represent a chaos. The Joker is hinted to have a traumatic past but does not change for good but embraces chaos and a nihilistic philosophy. Two-face or Harvey Dent has a death but no rebirth. When Harvey Dent, the lawyer sees his lover murdered he believes there is no true justice and spirals downward. In the Nolan movies the true foil to Batman is the villain Bane. While Batman and Bane both had their parents murdered and both make a perilous climb out of a prison, Batman seeks justice but Bane desires power. This contrast is written brilliantly by Tom King and drawn just as brilliantly by David Finch in the Batman Rebirth 2017 Vol. 3 series below:
2. Prince Zuko, Avatar the Last Airbender –One of my favorite childhood TV shows. The show is known for having some of the greatest character arcs. Prince Zuko is the disowned son of a tyrannical Nazi-esque regime who after much internal struggle joins the ‘good side’ to bring down his father. He is often contrasted against his sister Azula who takes a different path. Both the siblings struggled with loneliness and acceptance. Where Zuko realizes that having the honor and approval of his father is meaningless, his sister continues to seek after it. Zuko makes genuine friendships and learns to make choices that he alone approves (along with his friends and those he cares for). Azula by contrast loses all her friendships and is driven insane by her loneliness[6].
3. Jean Valjean vs. Javert, in Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables–Jean Valjean has a formative experience when a priest shows him mercy by not turning him over to the police when he stole from the church. Jean forever lives under the act of mercy and transforms his life to be merciful and gracious to others. Valjean’s understanding of justice is overturned by the act of mercy and changes his life. In the musical Valjean sings in his soliloquy, “I am reaching, but I fall and the night is closing in…Jean Valjean is nothing now another story must begin”. Valjean ends a chapter of his life and starts anew by dedicating his life to living a new story ruled by mercy and grace. The policeman Javert by contrast chases Valjean his entire life believing that locking the former criminal up is an act of justice. But when Valjean saves Javert’s life, Javert does not know how to handle this. He identified with the law and justice and did not understand Valjean’s action. Javert sings in his soliloquy, “I am reaching, but I fall and the stars and black and cold…There is nowhere I can turn”. Unable to reconcile the change in his ideology of justice, Javert commits suicide. Each of the characters had a crisis of identity overturning their conception of justice, but they take very different paths.
We love stories where two characters are dealt the same cards, yet by choice play their hands differently. Two twin brothers can be from the same abusive alcoholic household. One can become an abusive alcoholic and the other a kindhearted sober man. We think that a proper narrative trend in life is one which trends upward or downward. The choices of the hero or the villain mark the inflection points of their journey causing a change in one’s self/character. It looks something like this:
Chart idea partially from Nick Nugent’s insightful article. Refer to footnote 46. Characters are Batman, Zuko, Jean Valjean, Bane, Azula, Javert -as mentioned above.
HUMAN BEINGS AS COMPLEX
In ancient times people would be baptized near the end of their life as they had a belief that any sin would invalidate their baptism. They believed baptism was a sign of a changed life, a turning point in a redemptive arc in their life. Once one has been redeemed they wanted to minimize the chance of backsliding before death[7]. This understanding is like that of the narrative arc, one wants to reduce the chances of having downward inflection points.
The problem with the narrative arc is that it’s a gross simplification of reality. Human beings are very complex –this is something that almost needn’t be said. However, I find that this understanding is not internalized by many today. Take for example the movement to tear down statues and monuments around the world due to the Black Lives Matters (BLM) movement. Many are calling for statues of Gandhi, Churchill, Columbus, and others to be torn down due to their ignorant racial views[8]. The reality is there is no perfect individual, people are very complex. Each person has their own flaws, many of which may be a product of the times. Some of the most celebrated and pious individuals of history have great tarnishes on them:
Martin Luther King, Jr. –One of the most influential figures of the Civil rights movement. King however, was known to be a philanderer and may have observed or participated in a sexual assault[9].
Martin Luther –The Protestant Reformer who exposed much of the corruption in the Catholic Church and provided the lay people with greater understanding of Scripture (and thus education) was known to have a violent temper and may have had anti-Semitic[10] views.
John Calvin –The French Theologian Reformer known for his great intellect is often criticized for “allowing” (by not stopping) the arrest and execution of the heretic Servetus[11]. Some defend Calvin by saying it was the authorities who burned Servetus and Calvin warned Servetus from entering Geneva[12]. However, it is telling when an early friend of Calvin’s, the reformer Sebastian Castellio drew the line stating that Calvin’s hands were “dripping with the blood of Servetus”[13]. Castellio was later ostracized by Calvin to which prominent French thinkers responded in defense of Castellio. Voltaire wrote, “We can measure the virulence of this tyranny by the persecution to which Castellio was exposed at Calvin’s instance — although Castellio was a far greater scholar than Calvin, whose jealousy drove him out of Geneva”.
Should we tear down the statues of these men as well? I don’t know, but I think the first step is acknowledging that if the criteria for memorializing an individual is perfection, no single individual in history has reached that threshold[14]. Did these men have their own heroic redemption arcs? Maybe, but they are still far from perfect.
Alexander Solzhenitsyn understood this. In Solzhenitsyn’s seminal work “The Gulag Archipelago, he observed human nature in the Soviet prison camps and concluded:
“The line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either – but right through every human heart…even within hearts overwhelmed by evil, one small bridgehead of good is retained. And even in the best of all hearts, there remains…an uprooted small corner of evil.” (Solzhenitsyn, The Gulag Archipelago)
In the many books exploring the topic of genocide, prison camps, and the atrocities of war, part of understanding the good in human beings is also understanding that each of us is capable of evil acts as well. Viktor Frankl, Holocaust concentration camp survivor in his book “Man’s search for Meaning” recognizes that in another life he could be that Nazi prison guard. There is no animosity towards his oppressors as he understands he can be that oppressor as well.
The genuine narrative structure of an actual life may then look something like this:
Images are of Martin Luther King Jr., Martin Luther, and John Calvin.
THE INTERNAL SELF IS DIVIDED (the Bonhoeffer case study)
I’ve established that outside actions can be inconsistent with one’s beliefs as humans are complex. But even in the inner life one’s thoughts and conception of self are inconsistent. People have doubts, and although this seems obvious, people are also motivated by their beliefs and doubts. The Christian faith in particular notes that the unattainable threshold of perfection lies even in ones thoughts (Matthew 5). To Christians doctrinal orthodoxy is something which is taken very seriously as it is considered what is “true” and thus knowledge of truth demonstrates clarity of mind.
A great example of the complex views and doubts of an individual is Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Bonhoeffer was a German Lutheran pastor and theologian, a founding member of the Confessing Church (which opposed the Nazi Germany state church). Bonhoeffer at the time was working with the Abwehr (German military intelligence) and was involved in the planning and execution of plots to overthrow and assassinate Hitler. He was executed for these crimes in April 1945. Bonhoeffer’s book “The Cost of Discipleship” is common seminary reading and one can easily see why. Bonhoeffer distinguishes between ‘cheap grace’ and ‘costly grace’. Where ‘costly grace’, is a response to the grace given by God which causes the recipient to go against the grain –wherever God has called. For Bonhoeffer this was an opposition against the German state church, the genocidal Nazi regime, and the cost to follow Christ led him to the gallows.
“Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life” (The Cost of Discipleship, 1937)
One would think that such a devoted faithful seminarian would be above reproach, steadfast and unwavering. However, there have been a number of people to note that Bonhoeffer had personal doubts, struggles, and shifting views. Bonhoeffer in some of his earlier writings had views of Universalism and his theological leanings would likely have him deny Scriptural inerrancy. However, his theological doubts are more pronounced in his posthumous prison letters published in 1951. The letters paint a picture of a theologian whose private thoughts drastically shift into territory which is less than orthodox. In his letters to his friend/confidant/student Eberhard Bethge he wrote that he would go days without reading the Bible. The letters also wrote of “religionless Christianity”. Bonhoeffer however seems to acknowledge that these thoughts were dark and private. He wrote to Bethge when asked if he would like the letters published that, “I would not do it myself as yet because you are the only person with whom I venture to think aloud”.[15]
So what are we to make of this? Was Bonhoeffer a true believer, orthodox? Who knows? Citing prof. Richard Weikart on his article of Bonhoeffer’s troubling theological views[16]:
“While recognizing his many admirable traits—compassion, courage, commitment, and integrity—we should be wary of many elements of his theology.”
Frankly, it is so difficult to understand why others think or do things the way they do, but one also has to pause and recognize that we don’t even understand ourselves. And the doubts we do have –like Bonhoeffer –we may also be afraid to voice, thinking that it is an affront against our training and who we are as a self (Psalm 73:15). The internal self is constantly divided, we vacillate, have doubts, waver, become resolute, go forwards, and backwards.
This brief analysis of historical figures serves to highlight that lives of heroes are all-in-all complex and human. Though we may strive to model ourselves these heroes, they should be rigorously analyzed and discerned. We mustn’t throw out all the good of people but we can acknowledge that though they may have been right about some things –they may also be very wrong on other things[17].
CONCLUSIONS: IS THERE AN ACTUAL NARRATIVE ARC?
I know it seems like I’ve argued that there is no true narrative arc. That humans are complex and there is no redemption story for most if not all people. But this wasn’t my goal.
So how do we view our lives? Is there no narrative arc and are our lives just completely incoherent? What is the use of these narrative stories then and why do they speak so powerfully to us if they are untrue? This is something that I am still trying to fully understand but I’d like to point out a couple insights I’ve gathered:
Potential and the whole of the life – Part of believing that there is a concept of “redemption” is to note that people must change from something. Meaning that there is a moral bad and a moral good to strive or turn towards. The notion of a moral “ought” and an outside observer/god somewhat precludes the concept of redemption. In this manner we must attempt to see things from a third party, non-human/god point of view[18].
In CS Lewis “Mere Christianity” he reflects on the necessity of hell noting that, “perhaps my bad temper or my jealousy are gradually getting worse –so gradually that the increase in seventy years will not be very noticeable. But it might be absolute hell in a million years”. And indeed, if the nature of the self and soul is eternal[19] then the moral nature of the individual is long, and impossible to be seen or judged in a brief earthly period.
Philosophers adopt the theory of mereological essentialism (‘meros’ is Greek for “part”) for the identity of most physical objects. In this theory the parts of an object are essential to it as a whole. Per the theory, slices in time (denoted as R in the graph below) make up the parts of the object. The object is the sum of each of the parts of R; each point of R is a different object.
An absolutist view of personal identity by contrast maintains that people maintain sameness through change and identity is unanalyzable. People cannot be analyzed the same as inanimate objects. This seems true from our experience, we refer to ourselves as a single entity, we are introspective of our life and not someone else’s, people refer to you and not someone else when time progresses.[20] Further, defining an individual by a time-slice or an inflection point of their life seems rather shallow. But what if the mereological essentialism is partially right –it’s just looking at the wrong part? What if –like what C.S. Lewis has said, the identity of a person is measured in eternity or the whole of life? “R” as the time slice or the derivative would not be the right way to look at an individual in their complexity[21] but one also has to observe the entire slope of the line.
The simple answer to the question of “how we can know redemption has occurred” is simply that we cannot. We cannot see things the way God can, but that should not mean that we should not attempt to. Or as the movie, “Prince of Egypt” rightfully sings in one of my favorite songs –we must learn to “look through heaven’s eyes”.
This means viewing that people, including ourselves, are capable of change in the trajectory and slope of their life even if it is not measurable. Forgiving but acknowledging past faults, but also acknowledging that an individual in their entirety is scarcely defined by their faults. It means being less judgmental about ourselves when we think change ought to be greater because even we do not know the slope of our own lives.
Repetition and Beginnings –Consistent with the conclusion from above, redemption is then not just a single action taken which sets the course of one’s life but actions which are taken every single day. Build the slope, no matter how small a slope. Kierkegaard writes in his book “Fear and Trembling” that the hero, what he calls the “Knight of Faith” acts in repetition.
“(he, the Knight of Faith) has made and at every moment is making the movement of infinity. He empties the deep sadness of existence in infinite resignation, he knows the blessedness of infinity, he has felt the pain of renouncing everything…” (Søren Kierkegaard, Fear and Trembling)
The success of the Knight of Faith and the hero’s journey is (as discussed previously) impossible to be seen by earthly standards. Thus, the path to redemption is not just about building the slope day by day, but attempting to start –though we do not know the outcome.
“If the one who is to act wants to judge himself by the outcome, then he will never begin. Even though the outcome may delight the whole world, it cannot help the hero, for he only came to know the outcome when the whole thing was over, and he did not become a hero by that but by the fact that he began.” (Søren Kierkegaard, Fear and Trembling)
So when in doubt, begin, repeat, and do it again.
ADDENDUM: WHAT WE LEARN FROM STORIES
Although I’ve stated clearly that fictional narrative arcs are a gross simplification, I love stories. The way stories and their narrative arcs speak so powerfully to us must in some way mean that they have some truth that can be applied to our lives. Here are some takeaways I’ve gathered from writing this essay:
There is a way to see things but only from an outside point of view– the fact that we observe these stories as an external observer shows us that on a grand scale life can have meaning. It shows us that meaning, redemption arcs, and good things can happen and can be clearly seen from an outside point of view.
There is a longing for a resolution, a general disdain for sequels, and the hero’s journey must end – Have you noticed how almost every sequel is hated by its fans? We want closure, the hero’s journey must end, there must be an ending to close the show. This is the only way the full meaning and narrative arcs can be seen and resolved. Scientifically (where research is currently showing the universe to have an end) and per Christian apocalyptic literature, it is a good thing that things end on Earth. One will find that the Christian ending is also a happy one.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I’d like to thank Dawn for the conversations on this topic and the life encouragement. I also would like to thank Roxine who has been pushing me to write. You can check out their great writing in the hyperlinks. I often have these strange thoughts and I find that I am able to wrestle and find closure in writing these essays.
FOOTNOTES
[1] A quick Google search is bound to have plenty of results. Just searching “apologize for 10 year old tweet” or “people fired for their Twitter tweets” brings up many articles. Here is a couple: [1] Randy Rainbow a comedian apologizes for 10 year old tweets featuring racial stereotypes and slurs referencing transgenders. https://www.thewrap.com/randy-rainbow-apology-tweets-racist-transgender-slurs/ [2] Kevin Hart in 2018 stepped down from hosting the Oscars due to a 2011 tweet which was homophobic. Many examples of other stars who have had bad twitter history. https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2018/12/07/kevin-hart-isnt-alone-stars-whose-past-tweets-caused-controversy/2236790002/
[2] Season 2 Episode 2 of Gladwell’s Revisionist History podcast, “The Road to Damascus” narrates the story of “What happens when a terrorist has a change of heart? An Islamic militant, who left a trail of destruction in Europe, crosses over to work for the CIA. And then, one day, vanishes” http://revisionisthistory.com/episodes/12-the-road-to-damascus
[3] In reference to Plutarch’s “The Life of Theseus”, in “The Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romans, trans. John Dryden, rev. Arthur H. Clough
[4] See analysis by many prominent writers including C.G. Jung, Mircea Eliade, Joseph Campbell, and Otto Rank. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hero's_journey
[5] The arc of a villain is not typically explored as heavily but there are some articles detailing how to craft a character arc for a villain: http://amberroyer.com/villain-under-construction-villain-arcs/#:~:text=The%20In%2DStory%20Arc%3A&text=Just%20as%20the%20protagonist%20has,causes%20the%20villain%20to%20lose.
[6] There’s so many good videos which bring life to the character arcs in this series. My friend who really enjoys this series has written a bit about it here: https://ehzula.tumblr.com/post/616669680114008064/kataraazulafoil
[7] For example, in reference to the Roman Emperor Constantine, Bart D. Ehrman notes that Christians in those times were baptized on their deathbed as they believed sinning after baptism entails damnation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xohkrxWCHyE (per https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deathbed_conversion )
[8] Examples of others abound as well. https://www.indiatoday.in/news-analysis/story/from-gandhi-churchill-to-columbus-why-black-lives-matter-activists-are-angry-with-statues-1688304-2020-06-12
[9] https://theconversation.com/im-an-mlk-scholar-and-ill-never-be-able-to-view-king-in-the-same-light-118015 See also, great article: https://medium.com/@nicknugent/martin-luther-king-a-great-man-but-not-a-good-man-cebd2d0fb0db
[10] Understand that this is a very complex topic. Luther was shaped by many of the events happening in his time (including his personal life and perhaps his health). His writings shift from Jewish acceptance to what some would consider Anti-Semitic. Many would say Luther is being taken out of context to which I acknowledge there is more to his thinking than plain racism. However, when one reads what Luther has written it is at best harsh and hyperbole –which would highlight the common understanding that Luther had a problem with his anger. Luther’s friend Malanchton writes “God has sent in this latter age a violent physician on the account of the magnitude of existing disorders”. Luther himself admits to having a violent personality “I am rough, boisterous, and stormy, born to fight hosts of devils and monsters. My job is to remove stumps and stones, cut away thistles and thorns, clear away wild forests. Then along comes Master Philip (Melanchthon), gently and softly, sowing and watering with joy, according to the gifts which God has abundantly granted him”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_and_antisemitism and https://www.christianitytoday.com/history/issues/issue-39/was-luther-anti-semitic.html
[11] https://www.challies.com/articles/the-servetus-problem/
[12] “Despite Calvin’s warning, then, Servetus, who had narrowly escaped being burned by the Inquisition in Spain, turned up in Geneva and was spotted at a worship service in the Cathedral of St. Peter, and subsequently arrested.” https://www.crossway.org/articles/5-myths-about-john-calvin/
[13] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sebastian_Castellio#cite_note-12 . Also refer to https://medium.com/they-knew-the-reformers/the-reformer-who-confronted-calvin-a362b6cb0c36
[14] With the exception of Jesus Christ per the common Christian doctrinal understanding, contrary to CNN host Don Lemon’s understanding (https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/don-lemon-claims-jesus-christ-admittedly-was-not-perfect-on-earth ). But I’m pretty sure Jesus wouldn’t want a world full of statues of just himself (although these views aren’t really stated anywhere in the Bible).
[15] Eric Metaxes book on Bonhoeffer, citing Letters and Papers from Prison. Chapter 28.
[16] Some great articles on Bonhoeffer’s troubling and complex theology can be found here: https://www.equip.org/article/troubling-truth-bonhoeffers-theology/ and https://banneroftruth.org/us/resources/articles/2016/bonhoeffer-reliable-guide/ . A good response to Weikart can be viewed here: https://jwwartick.com/2016/01/25/btt/
[17] The Bible does not have simple narrative arcs which some may expect it to have. Consider the story of King Hezekiah in 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles. Hezekiah was considered a righteous king who did what was right in the eyes of God (2 Kings 18:3-8). He was later diagnosed with an incurable terminal illness. God by a miracle extends Hezekiah’s life (2 Kings 20:1). Hezekiah unfortunately with his extended life commits a terrible blunder by showing the enemies the riches of his kingdom (thus making Judah a target of attack) (2 Kings 20:12-18). For his rash actions he is rebuked by the prophet and condemned by God. Hezekiah repents in 2 Chronicles 32 but the damage would be done in later generations.
[18] A human point of view in some ways seems to miss the full complexity of a person. One can turn their life from smoking cigarettes and live a healthy lifestyle –this seems like a redemption story. But to say that the cigarette smoking action fully defined that person, or a lifestyle choice is what makes that individual a human being or a “self” seems rather shallow –and perhaps rightfully so.
[19] But even if it is not eternal –it’s still difficult or impossible to chart the impact one’s life has over the years.
[20] For further reading refer to Chapter 16 “Personal Identity and Life after Death” of “Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview” J.P. Moreland and William Lane Craig (2017)
[21] Another interesting point which I bring up partially in the above paragraphs is the mereological assertion would have us look outside the object/individual’s life throughout time. This by itself presupposes that there is an outside observer outside of time who is able to see the full “self”. This seems to me that the concept of progressing through time with time-slices making up an individual is not fully correct –given that there is an outside observer who already sees the full graph. I’m not going to go into this too much as I’m really not too well acquainted in the philosophy of Time and Space.