PEACE: The visit to Van Ness

Adam Stephanides · 10 Dec 2000, 11:36 · from urth-v0030.mbox · original

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From: Adam Stephanides <adamsteph at earthlink.net>
Subject: (urth) PEACE: The visit to Van Ness
Date: Sun, 10 Dec 2000 11:36:36
Message-ID: <urth-v0030-0189 at digest.urth.net>
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I wrote "Weer's narration of the start of the visit has, to me, a
dreamlike quality".  For the sake of completeness, I might as well state
what makes me say this.

1.  At the starts of the "visiting the doctor" segment, Weer says: "It
is important, going to the doctor.  Even in some mad way more important
than a board meeting." (3, H & R).  What is "mad" about it?

2.  Later in this paragraph we have: "Margaret tosses down her copy and
goes in to see the doctor, and I know, somehow, that this is a mark of
contempt." (3)  This may mean no more than what it says, that Weer knows
that Margaret is contemptuous but can't verbalize why.  But it is
reminiscent of that dream-thinking when you "know," with no rational
basis, that something signifies something.

3.  Shortly afterwards, there is this exchange between Weer and the
nurse:

   "Please, I've got to see the doctor.  I'm dying."
   The nurse: "All these people are ahead of you."
   Ted Singer and Sherry Gold are both obviously much younger than I,
but there is no use arguing with that kind of thing. (4)

Weer is uncharacteristically obtuse here (I can't recall any similar
instances).

All these lapses in logic suggest to me that Weer is not fully in
command of his thoughts in this passage.

--Adam

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