ATDDTA (6): An all-but-religious way, 179-182

[bekah]

At 9:04 AM +0100 4/15/07, Paul Nightingale wrote:
>What is the status of the dialogue that ensues? There is no evidence that
>the stranger is the Kid ("or whoever he was", 182); this is something that
>Lew has decided for himself. Cf. the opening of this chapter, when he has to
>"convince himself" that he is being followed by the Kid (171). The dialogue,
>then, fits in with the concerns of this chapter thus far. Lew has been
>seeking the Kid, his quest one of endless movement. He has had difficulty
>making sense of much that he 'sees', although one might say scopophilia is
>an end in itself. His decision that this is the Kid is as arbitrary as that
>of Burke's brother (174).


I suspect it is supposed to be the Kid.  They meet in the Anarchist 
saloon very shortly after Lew has told Nate about his doubts. 
(179-181)

This  "Kid" mentions  "Where I've been more like you'd call 'em 
peasantry and proletariat."  Kieselguhr is from Germany  (171).   His 
presence in that narrative is written like a mythical presence.   And 
perhaps  "Give this screamin Red threat to society another them,"  is 
ironic.   They're haven't exactly made friends here - it's a truce in 
a crowd.

A bit later,  after Lew has been introduced to and is in the habit of 
using cyclomite ... (184)

  "Wouldn't you know the minute Lew brought up with Nate Privett his 
doubts about the Kieselguhr Kid - in effect quitting the case - 
that's when *whatever it was* decided to have a  crack at him.  (184. 
36)

(He brought that up with Nate minutes before he met the Kid and  then 
"whatever it was" had a crack at him. - is that like the little 
spells he had in Chicago and that's how he meets the Kid?  Lew is 
under the effects of "whatever it was"?  )

So I think also that it was the Kid who lit the dynamite while Lew 
was quietly pissing into a small arroyo.  (184.37)  That might be his 
style.  (172)

Bekah