ATDTDA (13): A dude who couldn't sit a horse, 367-371

[Paul Nightingale]

Another role for Reef, "learning to look sicker than he was, to dress like a
dude who couldn't sit a horse on a merry-go-round". Hence a denial of his
past, of the culture that has produced him. Cf. Frank's unsuccessful attempt
to disguise himself in Telluride (281ff), exposed by the photo that Merle
has of Webb (299). On that occasion Frank was unable to escape his past.

Merle also has a photo identifying Deuce and Sloat (300): cf. the "wanted
bills" lacking "any real-life badman likeness" (362). If on this occasion
Reef will cover his tracks successfully it will be the result of his change
of milieu. Cf. Colfax to Kit: "The City, maybe it looks easy to you ." etc
(329).

In New Orleans Reef meets others in disguise, the musicians who talk
anarchy: Dope Breedlove, when the bar owner is near, doesn't just change the
topic of conversation, he conforms to racist expectations ("Oh yes suh, I
loves them po'k chops", 371). The music arouses Ruperta's hostility: ". fir
only for copulation of the most beastly kind" (369). Cf. Frank's
introduction to rag, courtesy of Dally (302-303).

Ruperta to Reef: "For the first time my eyes are open and you are truly
revealed to me-you and your whole insane country ." etc (369). Hence, "truly
revealed", Reef is also unable to disguise himself. Similarly, when speaking
with Wolfe Tone O'Rooney, he fears "the dawning of a certain light" (370).
O'Rooney's (Irish) anti-Imperialism might be juxtaposed to the anti-racism
encouraged by Ruperta's (English) outburst. She refers to the civil war,
when the country "tore itself apart for five years over this race of jungle
throwbacks" (369), whereas O'Rooney praises "this great and good USA" (370):
the "touring Englishwoman" (367) and the "traveling insurrectionist" (370)
have different perspectives borne of the contrast between leisure and work
as implied by "touring" and "traveling". O'Rooney subsequently: "Took you at
first for another damned English idiot like the crowd you came in here with"
(371).