SLPAD - 59 - Levine’s problem

[Michael Bailey]

The bar they find, like the other bar near Lake Charles where Levine did
his “Marlon Brando/ape” impression, has customers more or less oblivious to
the storm. Here, college kids are dancing (there, a couple of “schoolkids”
were drinking beer at the counter) to rhythm & blues records.

Mugs with people’s names on them - “that type of place.”

Rizzo may want to agitate a little: “Let’s sing college drinking songs,”
Rizzo said. Levine looked at him. “You serious?”

Here he does add the question mark, & presumably uses an interrogative
tone, like “thought we left that topic” “gotta be kidding”


As if reminded of his interest in things collegiate by Rizzo’s remark,
Baxter questions the utility of a college education.


Rizzo calls him a lout for expressing such thoughts in the presence of 3 of
the Army’s foremost intellectuals.

(Levine we know was graduated from NYCC; Baxter told us Rizzo’s a college
person; and Picnic has mentioned some kind of “academy.”)


Not to be shunted aside, he directs his question at Levine in a way that
could signal animosity; Levine “quietly” demurs as to being in the
“educated” group - quiet but emphatic, is how I picture it - & Baxter
returns to the topic to declare that Levine’s not doing any better than he
is, despite the latter’s diploma -

but Rizzo, possibly sergeantly sensing trouble looming, intervenes,
interjecting words of wisdom about Levine’s “problem.”