GRGR(4) - Slothrop's Rape Escape

[Michael Perez]

JBFrame wrote:
"White boy's fear fantasy.  No rape here."

More than likely it was more fear than reality.  We have to remind
ourselves that this episode takes place with TS under Sodium Amytal. 
As in the opening dream that we went around about, these images are
disconnected from normal consciousness.  There may have been many times
that he visited the Roseland Ballroom, got drunk enough to be sick,
perhaps even dropped his harp a few times, and was afraid of who might
take advantage of his condition with his head in the bowl and his ass
in the air as an open invitation.  What made him go there during his
time under the influence?  We don't know and neither do the people
observing him and asking the questions.  The "truth" revealed under
what is presumed (we, of course, know better now) to be a kind of
"truth serum" is truth about the current images rattling 'round the
subjects brain at the time.  The subject's tongue may be loosened but
whatever thoughts occur and send him wherever may not be about anything
the observer really wants to know.  Or in the case of the gang from the
White Visitation, whatever they find out can be cajoled into fitting
into what they want to know.

TS' fear of interracial rape may be just that or it may be that it was
a real memory about which he is in denial.  We don't know and have no
information other then his revealed relief of his escape into the
sewer.  Now for those who believe in real talking dogs and real
journeys through the sewer, this is proof enough of escape.  However,
even more serious than a white boy's fear is a white boys' shame of not
only being violated but being violated by those from whom he and other
white boys and girls were very much segregated.  His drug induced
nightmare, his miraculous escape and the rescue of his harmonica was
apparently, for him, worth the journey, which is more revelatory than
any knowledge of whether the rape actually occurred or not.

Michael

PS:  A moment of silence for my old faithful Viking copy of _GR_, it's
all but disintegrated.  I had to buy a new Penguin (effing $16.95 US,
sheesh! - the Viking was $4.95!) to finish the reading.


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