Subject: Re: TLM and Tale of Two Cities
From: Mattis Fishman (mattis@argoscomp.com)
Date: Thu Oct 05 2000 - 14:15:25 GMT
Paul,
I have to admit that you offer an explanation of TLM that I had not
heard before. My problem with this approach is that it relies so much
on symbolism which is sometimes as hard to avoid as errant baby carriages,
and assuming that the author's personal history is directly reflected
in the story. On a more patent level, where the inner story of the
Laughing Man changes with the moods and fortunes of the Chief, it would
appear from the radical ending that it was the Chief who had been
badly hurt. The class distinction of uptown-girl (rich, beautiful) /
downtown-boy (working student, ethnic immigrant class name) also plays into
this theme, but I think the key is the dramatic ending of the Laughing Man's
story which seems so much to reflect a sense of hopelessness that makes me
think that it was not John but Mary who terminated the relationship.
Perhaps, as you suggest she was pregnant, and *she* was the one who could not
socially accept a marriage with him. But I am not that convinced that it
is important to know if she was pregnant, any more than we need to know
this about Franny
all the best,
Mattis
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