Subject: Re: TLM and Tale of Two Cities
From: Paul Miller (phm@midsouth.rr.com)
Date: Thu Oct 05 2000 - 12:38:58 GMT
Scottie wrote:
what the hell is actually going on between Mary & the Chief.
Who's dumping who? And why? Is it a straightfoward
dump or an abortion?
Well, heres my 2 cents.
Mary Hudson is pregnant, we don't have to wonder about that. Salinger has
her sandwiched between two nursemaids with baby carriages and then later to
beat us over the head with the fact and in a bit of slapstick the narrator
walking backwards, looking at Mary, bumps into a baby carriage. We know, for
Salinger, a pregnant young female is a nightmare. He lost all interest in
his wife when she became pregnant and when his daughter became pregnant he
wanted her to have an abortion. John Gedsudski is working on a law degree at
N.Y.U. Mary can not stay pregnant without demanding marriage, remember this
is 1928. If John marrys her and has to support her and the child what about
his law degree? I think he was angry at her being pregnant and that made
Mary run off or he was angry and asked her to have an abortion. Exactly what
his reaction was we are not told. We do know that the chief feels that TLM
who represents youthful exuberance must now die.
I think Salinger had alot of fun writing this story. The Laughing Man is
not only the fellow with the pecan shaped head , but Salinger himself as he
typed this story into existence.
Paul Miller
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