VLVL2 (3) A Finesi Romance #1

[Paul Nightingale]

"... at least as persistent as Sylvester and Tweety's."

But why "persistent"?

The McCorry paper posted by Dave M is a good example of how to read
difference in repetition:

http://looney.toonzone.net/articles/tasarticle2.html

Tweety is caged but doesn't comprehend his imprisonment; Sylvester, free
to roam (and 'get into trouble') is repeatedly reminded of his own
imprisonment, that of the 'free' citizen, yet fails to come to terms
with the compromises that (human) society requires. Granny functions as
a kind of superego for Sylvester; he only suffers guilt because of his
urge to transgress. Conversely, his urge to transgress is acceptable
since it guarantees the role of the superego, forever on duty.
Furthermore, Granny and domesticity guarantee Tweety's state of natural
innocence, an hegemonic illusion threatened when, free of his cage, he
finds he is incapable of flight.

The opening paragraph of Ch3 is instructive. If Hector does wish
"cartoon annihilation for Zoyd", we have to ask if he enjoys greater
self-awareness than Sylvester. For any such "cartoon annihilation" is
(a) more likely to be visited on the would-be perp himself, and (b)
prove illusory, as any subsequent episode will assuredly demonstrate.
Sylvester's tragedy isn't that he never learns his lesson, and always
suffers when in pursuit of an impossible goal: his tragedy is that he
must go on.

Hector does seem to know better, "that Zoyd was the chasee he'd be least
likely ever to bag". Given this degree of awareness, greater than
Sylvester's, what drives him on? We're told that he's no longer
"obsessed", but "for no reason he could name, [he] liked to keep on
popping in every now and then, preferably unannounced".

Well, that suggests he's no less driven than Sylvester, and no less
incapable of explaining, or rationalising, his actions. As I recall,
Tweety usually (always?) knows that Sylvester is about to threaten him;
he addresses the reader directly to confirm what they both know, that
the (ritualistic) attack will be unsuccessful. At such moments, Tweety
steps out of the 2-D action and sits next to the reader, becomes an
observer: much as Zoyd does when Hector entraps Van Meter?

In the middle of the opening paragraph is Hector's less than
complimentary judgement on Zoyd as elusive chasee. The certainty he
proclaims here is at odds, strikingly so, with the lack of
self-awareness he demonstrates in the same few lines. And those readers
tempted to ignore this incongruity and take his judgement of Zoyd at
face-value should also consider the flashback that follows (22-25).