VLVL concluding chapter 7

[jbor]

on 18/10/03 6:04 PM, Paul Nightingale at isread at btopenworld.com wrote:

> At the outset, Prairie says: "I'm feeling like Dumbo with that feather, I
> would clutch to anything right now. Why? What can your partner do for me?
> Can he find my mom?" (100).
> 
> A pretty straightforward, unequivocal statement (although it might embarrass
> some readers, of course).

Ignoring Paul's sarcasm, it's actually an analogy (an answer to DL's inquiry
about whether Prairie was planning to use the *giri* chit, in fact) and
three questions (but I guess we'll let that pass).

It's pretty straightforward that Prairie is asking for information and help
in finding (physically and metaphorically) Frenesi. And it's immediately
followed by DL realising she's "in a pickle", acknowledging Takeshi's
fallibility, rationalising the situation vis à vis Frenesi resurfacing, then
admitting that "whatever story" she told Prairie "must not, maybe could
never, be the story she knew", and proceeding to "temporize" in what she
says to the girl.

(Re. Dumbo and the feather, see also the extended chiasmus in _GR_ (p. 135).

best