Subject: Re: Walt's hand in "Uncle Wiggly" (was Re: Honeymoon?)
From: Cecilia Baader (ceciliaann@hotmail.com)
Date: Tue Oct 17 2000 - 09:58:58 GMT
>"D." <darjr@shore.net> wrote live, not as a recording:
> Your memory is doing well if you haven't read the story in a while,
>Lucy. Eloise recalls a train ride with Walt where he placed his hand on
>her stomach and he said he should be ordered to stick other hand through
>the window, which would be the right thing to do. Apparently, beauty must
>be balanced by pain (or absurdity?). Then Walt removes his hand and orders
>the conductor to throw his shoulders back. There was no signifier of
>pregnancy in the least in the scene.
Thank you, D. I didn't have the book close to hand and I was interested in
the details of that scene. The first time that I ran across the possiblity
of Eloise's pregnancy is on Stephen Foskett's website, where in his summary
of the different stories, he inserts a throwaway comment that Ramona may be
Walt Glass's child. It's always puzzled me, though I never have gone
looking for specific clues. And then Scout's mention made me wonder all
over again.
There's a connection to the Glass stories in another spot in this story--
where Eloise mentions that her husband, like Boo Boo's commander, loves that
crazy book by L. Manning Vines. If she was Walt's girlfriend and he was
connected to Boo Boo, it's not impossible that they might have known each
other. Eloise mentions that she's called Fertile Fanny behind her back.
Why? Surely the people in the neighborhood where she lives wouldn't
begrudge her this one child? Unless, of course, the circumstances
surrounding this child's birth are awfully shady. Has this man married her
as a favor, then? Is Walt's hand on her belly more significant than we
think? Is he overwhelmed by Joy at the Prospect of becoming a Father and
needs to balance it, as has been suggested, with pain?
Another thing. Eloise tells her friend that she should never tell a man
anything about the men in her past. (Good advice, kids.) Make him believe
that you never loved anyone as much as you love him. Sounds like the voice
of experience talking to me. Does Eloise's husband have a problem with
jealousy over his daughter's "real" father? And does Eloise spend her life
playing it off as if it weren't important? This outpouring of memory must
be a great relief to her, then.
I suppose I'm just thinking aloud. Comments?
Regards,
Cecilia.
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