MDMD(1)--Letters

[andrew at cee.hw.ac.uk]

dennis grace writes:
> Richard R supposes:
> 
> >Surely, the appearance of M&D's letters in Ch 2  confirms or invites the 
> >reader to the humbleness of both gentlemen...

> My vote goes to invites.

My vote goes to `invites then signally fails to confirm'. This chapter
and the following are set up to mislead the reader - aarrgh, bitter
Deception, indeed. As we misread the chapter so Mason & Dixon misread
each other. Rather than start out humble, they are taught humility by
the experience of misreading, as perhaps we should be.

I'll post more when I retrieve the notes I forgot to bring in this
morning but if you want to take a look for yourself note e.g. how
after describing Mason's view of Dixon, the latter's reaction to Mason
is baldly offered to the reader only to be immediately qualified as
Mason's view of the reaction. After several more false starts and
confusions we finally arrive at the pair observing each other with
their expectations overturned and understanding that the other is more
complex and subtle than they can currently comprehend. This after a
comment from the narrator at the start of the scene that they are both
wary as to how the power will be sorted out between them. Seems that
both have been sidelined from their powerplay by the revelation that
they do not know each other and possibly have much to learn about each
other and maybe even much to gain.

This positive response to their differences follows from their early
lesson in humility which perhaps marks the beginning of their
friendship and explains their ability to reconcile their differences
(I disagree that they start off wishing to be friends - I'll cite the
comment re `power' and the subsequent revelation of their expectations
of a clod-hopping fool and crawling London dandy as confirmation).
All of which contrasts strongly with the irreconcilability of the
other opposing forces in the book, maybe with good reason?


Andrew Dinn
-----------
And though Earthliness forget you,
To the stilled Earth say:  I flow.
To the rushing water speak:  I am.