Webb Traverse

[mikebailey at speakeasy.net]

laura kelber wrote
>
> What I wonder is, did TRP mean Webb's death to be so central to the story, or did it become that because of the laconic, reader-friendly writing style of the Western episodes? Any thoughts on this, anyone?
> 
> Laura
>

well, you remember my first take pre-Christmas: it's a long meditation
on the fruitlessness of revenge.  
Though I'm not abandoning that premise, more and more it seems
that his family's refusal to forget him, though they don't exactly
adopt his whole modus operandi, acts in a salutary way to work
toward the other great "offing" which mirrors Webb's in some ways,
proceeds from it in others, and complements it in still others.
IE - both men represent untenable extremes; 
but the history that SV believes he's squelching in favor
of his own brand, continues in the ideals of Webb's offspring
and finally shows up where he least expects it.
...and in fact proceeds from the same erroneous placement of trust,
or assumption of complicity...

Hugely satisfying, to this reader.