MDDM Ch. 77 Dogs and dogsbodies

[Bandwraith at aol.com]

In a message dated 9/18/02 6:53:41 AM, jbor at bigpond.com writes:

<< the actual circumstances and conversations of these
later meetings having been lost to that "Void of forgetfulness". (And it
draws the reader's attention to the fact that almost everything else which
is narrated in the novel has been fabulated in precisely the same way.)>>

Which is the quote from Boswell, but no matter...

 Mason, however, seems to see himself in Johnson.

>>I didn't get this impression. Is there something specific in the text ...?<<

746.18.

 Johnson is rude and arrogant, no doubt, but I don't see patrician.
 Nor does he seem to patronize, imo. His aside to Boswell, "how
 even a Lunatick may be civil...," and more directly to Mason, "Or
 is it Your Holiness?" are hysterically funny.

>>Funny-nasty rather than funny-matey, however. Johnson is superior, sneering,
condescending etc. just like Franklin was. But I agree that Franklin is more
devious, more of a con-man than Johnson. Johnson has no use for Mason and so
insults him to his face right from the get-go. Franklin tries it on with the
boys first, realises he's getting nowhere, then reverts.<<

No. I don't think so.  Johnson is blunt and honest, as was the
historical Johnson, and he is no less so with Boswell, who 
has learned to deal with it. Johnson is the antithesis of the 
diplomatic and suave Franklin in the novel and historically, 
excepting with regards to slavery, about which they were
in historic agreement. Johnson's insults of Mason are funny
not so much because they are nasty as opposed to matey, but
because they are accurate.

And Wicks is laying it on:

    "I?" All but pleading for someone's Judgement of
    madness, as if desiring to be admitted to that
    select company, selct as the Royal Society, which
    didn't want him, either {747.18].

regards