Not all American literary stylists liked Henry Adams

[Paul Mackin]

Sitting here musing on Henry Adams I got to wondering about the possible
parallels between him and Tyrone Slothrop--well, they both DID go to
Harvard and were from old New England families which (according to
Menken at least) were much in decline. Of course Adams was a distinguished
scholar, historian and writer and Tyrone a schlimiel Lieutenant so that
we would tend to see them  as total antitheses to each other--that is, in
the manner in which they went forth from the custom bound worlds of their
births into a bewildering modern universe in which all certainties had
vanished.  Yet went forth both they did. And neither can be said to have
ever reconciled their confusions. Both had sought meaning (Tyrone
without realizing it) in the chaotic 20th Century. And even their ENDS
had a kind of figurative similarity. In being buried according to his wish
in an unmarked grave (alongside his wife) Adams did his own kind of 
disappearing act. As to differences some will say Tyrone had better luck
with women but traditionalists will argue that Adams should be judged
better on this score, being faithful to the rather weird Clover even unto
death. 

				P.