Bianca

[Bernard Duyfhuizen]

Ron's recent post regarding "sex with young girls" in TRP is on target in
suggesting the disturbing qualities attendant with such representations.

However, the case with Bianca is not quite as he makes it out.  I've written
at length about this (the article "A Suspension at the Hinge of Doubt" is
available on-line from Postmodern Culture--a web search will also get one
there), but if one does the calculation of her age (remember when Franz goes
to see _Alpdrucken_?) rather than relying on Slothrop's guess, she is
probably 16 at least at the time of their encounter.  She is also, by 1945,
fully crupted by her war experience.  Also, although her disappearance in the
text can be read as a "suicide," GR is never completely definitive on this
point.

Happy Holidays.

As B/4

Duffy Duyfhuizen