What This Collection Is
Almustafa has spent twelve years in Orphalese, but as his ship finally appears in the mist, he finds he cannot leave without a final exchange of words. The collection functions as a series of short, rhythmic sermons delivered to the crowd gathered at the city gates. Each piece responds to a specific prompt — a ploughman asks about work, a judge asks about crime, and a woman named Almitra asks about love. The prophet provides paradoxical advice, suggesting that joy and sorrow are inseparable and that work is actually love made visible. By the time he boards his ship in "The Farewell," he has covered the entire spectrum of human industry, from eating and drinking to the nature of death.
Figures & speakers
- Almustafa
A chosen teacher waiting twelve years for his return ship. (in “The Coming of the Ship”)
- Almitra
A seeress who is the first to speak to the prophet. (in “The Coming of the Ship”)
- The Judge
A city official who asks about the nature of justice. (in “On Crime and Punishment”)
- The Ploughman
A laborer who prompts a discussion on the purpose of work. (in “On Work”)
What it's really about
- Unity
- The interconnectedness of the wrong-doer and the victim.
- Labor
- Work as a way to keep pace with the earth's soul.
Why it's memorable
- A flute through whose heart the whispering hours turn into music during labor.
- An apple being crushed by teeth while its seeds promise to live in the body.
Where it lands
The prophet departs by sea, leaving the people of Orphalese with the idea that they are both the way and the wayfarers.
For your book club
- Does the prophet’s view of crime absolve the individual by blaming the whole community?
- How does the metaphor of the vineyard change the perception of physical consumption?