Three Fingers: Sometimes a Pipe...

Dan'l Danehy Oakes · 15 Jun 1998, 09:07 · from urth-v0013.mbox · original

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From: "Dan'l Danehy Oakes" <DDANEHYO at us.oracle.com>
Subject: (urth) Three Fingers: Sometimes a Pipe...
Date: 15 Jun 98 09:07:33
Message-ID: <urth-v0013-0061 at digest.urth.net>
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It seems to me that "Three Fingers" -- oddly for a Wolfe story -- is
just what it seems.  That is, Adam's theory #2 comes closest to the
mark:

> 2)  "Michael Mauss" is sane and the "Mickey Mafia" really gets him,
> just like it says in the story.  Supporting this is that
> hallucinations are one of the side effects of reserpine.  I don't
> like this because it leaves too many questions unanswered.  Why
> would the Disney people dress up as Disney characters to catch
> Michael?  And why pretend they're going to kill him?

Hokay, let's take this one point at a time.

First and foremost, what on earth gives you the eyedea that they're
_pretending_?  And, similarly, the knowtion that they're "dressed up"=20
as Disney characters?

I guess I have to back this up, so here's an interpretive principle
that I find useful in dealing with Wolfe's texts; call it the Roach
Principle
   The "deep meaning" of a Wolfean text is most likely to be=20
   identical with its "surface meaning" precisely when that
   "surface meaning" seems most unlikely.

Basic interpretation of "Three Fingers":  The Disney characters (and
most particularly the Disney villains) are real and are exactly what=20
they seem.  There is nothing under the mask.  Michael Mauss has made
the fatal mistake of trading in the Disney Magic^(tm).

You have to know how fiercely these people protect their trademarks
to feel this story.  We're talking about a company that brought=20
suit against an urban daycare center because they'd hand-painted
Disney characters on the walls.  (To their infinite credit, the good
people at Warner's helped settle the suit, and paid for repainting=20
the place -- in Warner cartoon characters, for which they didn't
charge royalties 8*) ).

Actually, in line with the Roach Principle, it is quite possible=20
that Adam's #3 is also correct, that "Mauss" is in fact Mickey=20
Mouse; but I'd have to reread the story to decide on this one, and=20
I don't have time right now -- I'm wrapping up for a long vacation,=20
during which I hope to finally get around to "Castleview,"=20
"Pandora," and "Storeys," and maybe even the one-more-reading of=20
PEACE I need to do in order to make my case for "Weer in Purgatory"=20
as the bestest reading...

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