Comments on Comments:GRGR

[ckaratnytsky at nypl.org]

     Don Larsson adds to Stephen Brown's comments re the Dream:
     
     >But it also evokes (as many have suggested) the steam/engine 
     >technology of the 19th century becoming obsolete (as also implied by 
     >the fall a/the Crystal Palace).  And it reminds me of other dream 
     >journeys by rail, not the least being Alice's when on the other side 
     >of the Looking Glass.  Notice that the "second sheep" reference 
     >won't be explicated for quite some time--so, if this is Pirate's 
     >particular dream, why is he evoking a phrase from a heretical 
     >Massachusetts Puritan?
     
     Doesn't the dream also evoke vaginal and uterine associations?  I 
     don't have the book in front of me, but, you know--the carriage, and, 
     as I recall, the "velveteen darkness" and all seems as hard to ignore 
     emblematically as alla those bananas, Dr. Freud.
     
     A-and, ohboyohboy, wait a minute--As I am not clear At All yet about 
     what the deal is re Prentice's message Rocket and the "incoming mail," 
     I hesitate (but only a little) to suggest that this is another 
     pun--or, better, a bit of burlesque--on the birth of the Christ child, 
     starring the message Rocket as the Star of Bethlehem, Prentice as the 
     first Wise Man on the scene and our boy Incoming Male as the Savior 
     Slothrop.  Oy, what a Savior...Rocketman Fool.
     
     Well, folks, is this something about which Bugs Bunny would say, "What 
     a puh-faw-mance, Doc?"--or, have I merely plugged into the collective 
     litcrit unconscious and come up with old news?  Whaddya say?  Huh?  
     Huh?
     
     Chris