Hello and Query

[Keith Woodward]

At 10:03 PM 8/17/99 +0200, bernd wrote:
I'm about to prepare a project in American Studies
>on the metaphor of amputation and:or the phantom limbs in American
>Literature, Cinema, Art and History (Political Speeches, Pamphlets). In
>literature, Captain Ahab comes to mind, in fact quite some characters in
>Melville. Is there such a thing as a kind of American obsession with
>missing limbs? I'm also thinking of the metaphor of the missing limb in the
>political rhetoric of segregation/reconstruction and:or of manifest destiny
>... maybe even in the accounts of the first settlers, maybe as a reaction
>to the separation from the 'mother country' ... 
>Hope this does not sound TOO absurd ... I'm really looking forward to
>ideas, suggestions, and help. Thanx a lot for your effort, hope this doesn'
>leave you ... eh ... stumped ...

Whenever I think of missing limbs, I recall with fondness the works of Miss
Flannery O'Connor.  There was never a more northern, Protestant, naturalist
writer than she.  Ahhh.

Really, she's quite a ripping good read, though.  Arms and legs are always
optional.

Keith W
keith w