SLPAD - 104 - "Low-Lands" - 17

[Michael Bailey]

Flange, otherwise calm, imperturbable, loses his temper when his shrink
ties "ocean" up with "mother"

And maybe this is the only outlet for anger he can even consider using.

I imagine him always having to placate clients & senior partners, for
obvious reasons; and Cindy - he's still trying to sell the dreamwombhome
idea to her; he's also probably outflanked on aggressive capabilities by
Rocco, and certainly by Pig, making any outburst in their direction
unlikely.

And I think he's basically a gentle person, so I doubt he takes his pique
out on the secretaries at work, nor would he be likely to break dishes the
way Cindy does, nor destroy his stereo, record collection, or other
appurtenances.

Nor does he intend any harm to Diaz, really - knowing he will be deflected,
he's free to vent.


That doesn't mean it's such a great therapy, though, does it? Shouldn't
there be some kind of insight, if this is a breakthrough?

Or is the breakthrough contained in the very next passage, which is about
consciously recognizing the disparity between his Popeye-the-sailor-man
self-image and the approach of middle age?

This does seem to be a reflection that could lead to some psychological
progress, which would ordinarily be towards normality, employability,
amiable marital relations, adjustment to one's situation.

It's contrarian and part of the amusing charm of the story that his
development moves in an opposite vector.


Also, the passage yields a piece of chronology: he was already married to
Cindy when he went in the Navy.