Holy Palmer's Kiss

Cecilia A. Baader (cbaader@my-Deja.com)
Wed, 04 Aug 1999 16:08:23 -0700 

This one is going to get away from me, I can feel it right now.  So those of you who don't feel like a read have my full permission to move on your merry way to the next message.  (Now that I've gotten that quick bit of self-deprecation out of my system, on with it.)

Years ago, when I first read _Franny and Zooey_, I made a note for myself at the back of my mind to look for _The Pilgrim's Way_ when I was in bookstores.  But like many of my "Notes to Self," the tasks often take years to complete.  One of my favorite pastimes is browsing in  bookstores, so I found it surprising that I had such trouble finding it.

Then one day last winter, I found myself stuck in DeKalb, Illinois.  (Don't ask.)  And because I was staying on NIU's campus, I made some time (believe me, in the middle of a blizzard in DeKalb in January, there's not much other than time...) and wandered around the University Bookstore.  Up and down the aisles, checking out what they're reading in the English classes these days, through the philosophy aisle, I came upon a big bin of books, marked down from the previous semester.  And sitting right on top of that bin of books, almost crooning my name, was THE BOOK.  By its tattered appearance, I could tell that it had survived all sorts of indignities.  Hugging it to my breast, I hurried to the front counter and paid four dollars for my treasure.  (That's only twice what a bottle of water costs in New York City.  Not to harp on any subject or anything.)

So though I finally had it in my possession, it took me months to screw up my courage and actually read it.  But last night I actually did read it.  And took notes.  And maybe it's because of all the talk of hands lately, but two things really stood out at me, and I thought that I share two passages with all of you.  They seem to have a little bearing on some of our recent discussions.

As I'm sure that you know, the Pilgrim is instructed by his starets, or holy man, before going on his way to practice what he has learned.  To help him practice the prayer of the heart, the starets gives him a chotki, which is like a rosary.  During his journey, the pilgrim is chased by a wolf.  He tries to save himself by throwing the chotki at the wolf.  Disoriented by the chotki, the wolf runs off and leaves him alone.  After his experience with the wolf, the pilgrim relates this story to a teacher who then explains the reason for the miracle:
"The starets to whom this chotki belonged was a holy man  - and what is holiness?  It is simply the return of sinful man, through efforts and struggles, to that innocent state of grace that the first man enjoyed.  When the soul is sanctified, so is the body.  Holy people always held chotki in their hands.  This very contact of their hands and the holiness that emanated through them infused the knots with the power of the innocent state of the first man."

So is it any wonder that hands hold such symbolism for Seymour?  After reading this, I kept thinking about that passage that Rick and Mirjam recently reminded us - the one about how he has yellow-stained hands from Charlotte's dress, etc.  And touching innocence infuses the toucher with that innocence.  Therefore the wolf runs away, overwhelmed.  So what of Seymour touching Sybil's foot?

But then I came across this next passage, which relates to again the right-hand left-hand discussion:
"Even my late starets of blessed memory would tell me that obstacles to the prayer of the heart come from two sources: from the left and from the right.  This means that if the enemy fails to prevent us from praying, through vain thoughts and sinful imaginings, then he stirs within us memories of all sorts of edifying things, or he entices us with pleasant thoughts - anything at all - just to lure us away from prayer, which is something unbearable to him.
"This is what is called 'right hand theft,' and it causes the soul to scorn converse with God and to turn to the pleasure of conversing with its own self or with other creatures."

So then I began to look through _Franny and Zooey_ for references to right v. left hands and found something interesting:  Lane reads his pleasurable letter from Franny in his right hand.  Whenever anyone wants a little more control over a situation, they are holding their cigarette in their right hand.  Franny uses her right hand to brace herself against the bar.  But when she touches the fingers of her left hand to her forehead, she is overcome and faints.

Seymour uses his left hand to kill himself.

So perhaps the right hand is that which we use to save us from great emotion, reminding ourselves of greater happier things.  And the left hand links us to the depths of despair of our souls.

(Middle of the night musings...  They seemed so much clearer before I wrote them down.  Ah, me.  Oh, and you can call me a section man all you want.  I really deserve it for this one.)

Regards,
Cecilia.




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