GRGR(9): Those Lovely Seaside Bird-Girls

[keith woodward]

Quite simply: what's with the feathers?

Katje, whose lineage is linked to the destruction of the (flightless) dodo,
appears in 2.2 in a white costume decorated by the feathers of the
(flightless) ostrich (194).  Of course, every kid who grew up on cartoons
thinks of the old image of the ostrich hiding is head in the sand when it
is in danger.  The idea being: if the ostrich can't see the persuer, the
persuer can't see the ostrich.  So we reach the first sexual encounter
between Slothrop and Katje during which, just before the point of climax,
"he tries to still her head, needing to see her face: this is suddenly a
struggle, vicious and real--she will not surrender her face" (197).  While
the association between Katje and flightless birds?

There also seems to be a connection between flight and sexuality in the
pillowfight scene.  Katge and Slothrop are covered in feathers during their
second sexual encounter.  There seems to be a bit of earnest sentiment in
this scene: is there flight?  or flightlessness.  The ending of the chapter
seems to imply that flight (in the ol' "to flee" sense) is quite impossible
for Slothrop, who ends up back at Katje's.  Now, what kind of a Rocket Man
can't fly?

Keith W