Atdtda32: Not reclusive, 898-899

[Paul Nightingale]

R. Wilshire Vibe is reintroduced on 898, and Dally quickly "[finds] herself
celebrated as one of the wonders of the world as defined ..." etc. This
leads to great commercial and social success, and Dally is no longer, it
seems, dependent on Ruperta's patronage: we have come a long way, from the
"pleasant small bed-sit in Bloomsbury" that opened the chapter on 892 to
"weekends at some of the more sizeable manor houses of the British
countryside" on 898, from a signifier of modernity to one of tradition--the
latter, perhaps perversely, the site on which contemporary celebrity culture
will be played out, all to the bemusement of Dally herself (ie "almost in
innocence amazed that she could watch so calmly the ardour of others as if
from inside some glacial and lucid space").

The paragraph describing Dally's celebrity ("From doing walk-ons ..." etc)
ends on 899 with the reappearance of Ruperta as arch-manipulator or author
of Dally's fate, "steer[ing] the girl with no more than a twitch of her
cigarette". If the section begins with Ruperta failing to separate Dally and
Hunter, Vibe's intervention offers a fresh opportunity for her to do so with
the assistance of Clive Crouchmas. Note that this passage, beginning on 898
with the reintroduction of Vibe, is continuous ("that very evening") from
the earlier scene between Dally and Hunter. Much happens in the course of
two pages, however; so the reappearance of Ruperta, bottom of 899, still in
conspiratorial mode well into the season, must come later, after her
"certain adjustment" in September, back on 896.

In turn, Crouchmas introduces "noted death merchant Basil Zararoff" and the
latter's "reported desire" for Dally, or at least "her hair color" (899);
Zararoff's reputation and desire are each spoken of, reported, constructed
here. As a celebrity, Dally is turned into a commodity, always present;
whereas Zararoff's power and prestige depend on his absence. Celebrity is
impersonal; and the hysteria that accompanies Dally's fame is tempered by
her own recognition "that none of this could last much beyond one season"
(898), celebrity's natural life-span, before transformation into another.
Repetition/difference. On the other hand, Zaharoff is introduced twice,
repetitively, from "the noted death merchant" to, a line later, "the fabled
arms magnate" (899). It is worth thinking about the difference between
"noted", or 'known about'; and "fabled", which introduces the writing of
reputation, with connotations of spin; and then the titles they are each
attached to. Moreover, in the text, Crouchmas and then Zararoff replace
Vibe; if Dally is to be replaced by another celebrity performer, the
"impresario" (898, with a hint of his struggle to succeed) is succeeded by
those who have the power to connect economic activity to government. Popular
culture is a distraction.

Not least, the narrative here emphasises the role of social networks
inseparable from the complacencies of an established social order--and the
Ruperta/Crouchmas axis relates different narratives.