CoL49 group reading - the Bortz household

[Michael Bailey]

Joseph wrote:

“The whole house is structured around a kind of indulgence of the male
“intellectual” as he competes in a probably not widely followed area of
research.The household responsibilities fall to Grace. The children’s
misbehavior reflects that indulgence; they are not too different in their
competition for attention and dominance from many of the adults in the
story.”
>

There’s certainly a division of labor.

But do we want to get judgy about the kids, calling for a sterner paternal
presence in order to fit them for lifelong quiet obedience?

Bortz specializes in drama; the immoderate content of the plays, on top of
the usual tv etc, is seeping into household conversations, leading to some
rude talk but also developing concepts &; the kids aren’t completely
insulated from the sadness and drinking surrounding Driblette’s suicide -
Maxine (shades of BE) threw a bottle through a window (shades of “Entropy”)
but discipline was forthcoming via Grace - less of a physical disparity
than from Emory, almost certainly, and less likely to cause lasting trauma.


Also, Grace accompanied Emory to the Vatican Library -

“Illicit microfilms of the illustrations in that Vatican edition. Smuggled
out in ’61. Grace and I were there on a grant.”

 - from stories I’ve read, I’ve gotten the impression that it wasn’t
uncommon in the ‘60s (& not unknown even now) for professors to marry
bright students - or they could’ve been students together. ‘61 was only 3
years prior. Grace seems to’ve been important enough to the endeavor to
include her on a lengthy trip, during very early childhood of their
offspring. Helpful & sympathetic relatives? Anyway, she’s not been totally
locked down at home.