M&D Spoiler--Question p. 699

[davemarc]

> From: doktor at primenet.com
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> M&D
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>      spoiler
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>           follows
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> [snip] I have a question for those
> assembled.  When Dixon threatens to kill the slavedriver, he begs for
> mercy:
> 
> "'No!  Please!  My little ones!  O Tiffany!  Jason!'
> 
> 'Any more?'
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> '--Soames!'"
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> What's the significance of these names?  My puzzlement on this point was
> compounded by the Washington Post review of M&D by Michael Dirda, which
> _misquotes_ this dialogue.  Dirda writes:
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> "When Dixon angrily frees some slaves, he decides to whip, maybe even
kill,
> their swaggering, foul-mouthed exploiter, who immediately crumples and
> pleads, 'No!  Please!  My little ones!  O Tiffany!  Jason! . . . Scott!'"
> 
> Can someone provide a reference, and speculate on what Dirda was
thinking?
> 
I understood Dirda to mean that the names are late 20th Century.

As for Scott vs. Soames, my Advance Reading Copy sez:

"No!  Please!  My little ones!  O Tiffany!  Jason!"
"Any more?"
"--Scott!"

But my First Edition sez:

"No!  Please!  My little ones!  O Tiffany!  Jason!"
"Any more?"
"--Soames!"

Not sure if I "get' it, but interested to note that there's a difference
between the versions.  

davemarc