Of Mice and Milton

Peter Westlake · 17 Dec 1999, 13:08 · from urth-v0028.mbox · original

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From: Peter Westlake <peter at harlequin.co.uk>
Subject: (urth) Of Mice and Milton
Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1999 13:08:07 +0000
Message-ID: <urth-v0028-0639 at digest.urth.net>
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I was reading "Three Fingers" again recently, and came up with a few
questions. I still don't know what it's about!

Michael shows a Snow White model to a woman who comments that she
hasn't seen Snow White for years. Is this just her, or has no-one
seen Snow White for years? If not, why not?

The signed photos seem to be quite dated; I don't even remember which
films Tommy Kirk and Annette were in. Is it reasonable for Michael to
be selling photos of these particular people at the time in which the
story is set? Do we know when it is set? Snow White is also a very early
Disney character.

Reserpine was once used to treat psychosis, but its side-effects include
nightmares. Is it the cause of the apparent hallucinations at the end
of the story, or treatment for them?

The "Queen" says that she has had good results with synthetic para-reserpine
"on him". Does this mean that Michael has been treated before, if that's
really what is happening?

Finally, what on earth are Harley and Amaryllis doing in the story?
They come from Richard Hill's short story "To Sport with Amaryllis",
published, like many Wolfe shorts, in the Orbit series of anthologies.
The title comes from Milton's poem "Lycidas", where he is musing on
the merits of idle pleasure versus working hard for fame. This might
be nothing more than a cameo, but the associations are suggestive.

Orbit 7: <http://www.best.com./~contento/t55.html#A1283>
Lycidas: <http://www.bartleby.com/101/317.html>
Reserpine: <http://lysine.pharm.utah.edu/netpharm_98/druglist/reserpine.htm>

Spectacled Bear.

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