GRGR(30) 'Alarming'et alia

[Paul Mackin]

The Chinese food arrived so I did get a chance to tackle all of
Michel's questions not that there's much more I can add.

On Mon, 26 Jun 2000, Michel Ryckx wrote:

> p. 661.9. '... to sound like a woman of the 40s.'  How did such a woman
> sound?


Though I like the line because it suggests the degree of artifice,
caution, delicacy (on K's part) holding sway over the entire proceedings,
my sense of precise meanings is fairly nonspecific. "And me" she
she has said. Because of the war women were considered to be 'liberated'
and therefore a 40s woman might be expected to juxtapose her own concerns
regarding whatever topic was under discussion right there alongside those
of the male. However, why this should be a confort to Enzian perplexes
me. Unless the psychology of the thing goes something like this: K knowing
Enzian's pain deliberately provides him a way to deflect this pain by
setting herself up to be mocked by him. Of course it doesn't work. He goes
goofy on her (movie talk) and she shifts course--starts flirting 
with him or something along those lines.

Another angle: K is already a woman of the 40s--why can't she just sound like
herself. Here's where the movie overlay aspects may come in. There are
real women and there are filmic women. Seems like the line "And me, what
about me" might have occurred memorably in some movie. Need to search the
files.


> p. 662.  Blicero's letter.  I've allways had the impression he was
> reassuring himself, rather than telling the truth.  Am I wrong?

I thought it made the interesting point that for Katje impotence was
in the fact that she would have lapses in her ability to be hurt, would
forget how.

Oh, that's all right dear, it really doesn't matter. You're just tired
tonite.

			P.