Subject: Muriel's uncle
From: LR Pearson, Arts 99 (lp9616@bristol.ac.uk)
Date: Sat Jan 22 2000 - 18:17:02 EST
I was just reading "Raise High" and was struck by how brilliant
Muriel's deaf and dunmb uncle is. For some reason, I don't remember
ever paying him that much attention before, but this time I started to
look upon him much as Buddy does - a kind of solace in the midst of
something very confusing. I think, altogether, I had a heightened
sensitivity to the characters which made me need a refuge from the
abrasive Matron of Honour (possibly because I was up till four last
night writing an essay). I have never reallt thoguht u]about it till
now, but he shares the characteristics of the other "joymaking"
charayers - he seems to be living his life with such absolute glee,
being completely himself and oblivious to the low level nastiness going
on around him (as Lionel is oblivious to the anti-semtism in "Down at
the Dinghy"). Have any other bananafishers "discovered" a character on
rereading? Who?
A slight digression... until quite recently, I never realised that
"kike" was an anti semitic word. I picked up on the unpleasantness of
it, obviously, but my understanding was not that far removed from
Lionel's. Anti-semitism is not really an issue where I come from (as I
have never met a Jew). I wonder if there is anything else I am missing
out on. I have been reading Salinger for so long that I probably don't
notice - I long ago made up my own meanings for anything I didn't
understand.
Love, Lucy-Ruth
(Sorry if this post is slightly disjointed... I'm not used to late
nights. And, I swam 20 lengths today! (rare virtue))
------------------
LR Pearson, Arts 99
lp9616@bristol.ac.uk
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