Journal 2 - Pratchett, Trollope

 

10/26/2000

Wings by Terry Pratchett

               Like the Thing.

               Description of airline food, “little discs of strange woolly stuff” (39)

               The book is a good comment on life and how small the world can be without you knowing it.  Guebar shows how necessary it is to explore that small world while the other show that it is necessary to leave it sometimes.

 

10/27/2000

Can You Forgive Her? By Anthony Trollope

               Mr. Vavasor – “Now and again it will happen that the cook is treacherous even to him, and the he can hit hard, but in hitting he is quiet and strikes with a smile on his face.” (5).

               The title at this point can refer to either Alice (her quavering regards to marriage) or Kate (for not being a good friend).  I dislike the idea of a woman’s destiny just to be married and to have kids, especially when Trollope’s own mother did so much more [Note: in fairness to Trollope, he seems to hate this too].  Alice at times seems to be understood and even sympathized with, but other times she seems to be judged to be in great error.  The judgement isn’t harsh but it is there.  Is Trollope trying to get people to understand women?  [I believe so, Trollope liked women, unlike Dickens whose idea of the ideal woman was Red Riding Hood].

               Love the description of the Duke of St. Bungay

               “He was a great buyer of pictures, which perhaps, he did not understand, and a collector of books which certainty he never read.  All the world respected him, and he was a man to whom the respect of all the world was as the breath of his nostrils” (I, 309).

               The main problem is that the two male characters who are “wronged” by their  significant others are too saint-like.  Mr. Palliser is more human than John Grey for her at least knows he is at fault to a degree.  “ . . . he acknowledge to himself that he had married without loving or without requiring love” (II 243) . . .”Much of this had been his own fault” (II 243).

               But Grey is too understanding and controlled.  Trollope tells the reader of Grey’s feeling but Grey never shows them.  The reader cannot blame Alice for feeling lacking, but Alice’s arrangement with George (outside of the money) does not seem realistic.

               Pat ending in regards to Glenora ‘s child.  Her marriage is fixed and then she becomes pregnant.  And lo and behold she has a boy!  I  can understand the symbolic significance of the fixed marriage meaning  secure place for a child, but still it is a bit much.

               Interesting point of view on marriage coming from Glenora’s lips.  The forcing of Glendora into marriage is to a degree, condemning.  Narrator admits that Bruno might have been saved if Cora were allowed to marry him.  But the Cora/Bruno situation makes Alice look like a fool in her second engagement o George.  Alice being older and having dealt with George once before, looks like a fool. , an idiot.  Cora is right to be angry with her.  Why does Alice see it as different?  Trollope never seems to fully explore it.  Alice seems to want to help achieve his governmental dreams but this could be easily done with the giving of money.  If Alice’s decision is based solely on Kate’s manipulation than Alice’s looks little more than a marionette and then how does she stand up to her in relation in regards to not marrying George at the beginning of the book.

               The men in the book seem to be primary saints or sinners.  Even Bruno who at first appears to both, his treatment of the drunk girl.  Becomes a total sinner at the end of the book.  The reader loses all sympathy with him and Trollope dismisses him though the suggestion is that he met an earlier end.

 

11/4/2000

Phineas Finn by Anthony Trollope

               On Phineas Finn from the viewpoint of his father, “The doctor was accustomed to say that his goose was as good as any other man’s goose as far as could see yet but he allowed himself to express an opinion that a young bird partook, in any degree, off the qualities of a swan.  From which it may be gathered that Dr. Finn was a man of common sense” (I, 1-2).

               “It seems to me that child and a man need not mind themselves.  Let them do what they may, they can set it right again.  Let them fall as they will, you can put them on their feet.  But a woman has to mind herself – and very hard work it is when she has a dragon of her own driving her ever the wrong way” (I, 117).

               “She had wished to be imprudent when she was younger, but her friends had been too strong for her.  She had been reduced and kept in order, and made to run in a groove – and was now, when she sat looking at her little boy with his bold face, almost inclined to think that the world was right, and that grooves were best” (II, 266)

               “But there are circumstances in which such self-action is ruinous to so many that coercion from the outside becomes absolutely needed” (II, 266).

               “His [Phineas] Irish life, he would tell himself was a thing quite apart and separate from his life in England.  He said not a word about Mary Flood Jones to any of those with whom he lived in London.”(II, 335).

               Part of the reason why one has reservations about Finn.  He seems likable; Trollope calls him likable.  But his treatment and relations with women seem strange.  He moves too quickly from love to love, and his secret of Mary is different.  He only somewhat hesitated about telling Laura of his love for Violet and he knew that Laura’s brother loved Violet, that Laura wanted her brother to marry Violet, and that Laura knew that he had once loved her.  Is he ashamed of Mary?  Or is Ireland pure and unsullied.  Doesn’t seem that is the way for Finn thinks, “When he was gain at home he said nothing to his father or to the Killbollion as to the danger of his position.  Of what use would it be to make his mother and sisters miserable, or to incur the useless counsels of the doctor”  He didn’t even attempt to tell his family about his problems.  The doctor is not stupid and his sister Barb does not seem to be in the dumb department either.  There is no clear evidence that Finn wrote home a lot.

               Why does Mary love him and accept him?  Reader knows from the beginning of the book that the couple is fated to be together.  Nothing seems to be endearing about Finn, except perhaps his belief that Parliament should be for the good of the people.  A somewhat naïve belief  but a somewhat endearing characteristic.

               And going after Violet when he knows about Oswald’s feelings for her is extremely bad form.

               AND HE SEES NOTHING WRONG WITH IT!!!!

Geez.

               One feels sorry for Oswald.  Laura sems not to realize that women cannot dominate as much as men (II< 359).

               Trollope tells use that a significant amount of time (6 years) has passed but the ovel really doesn’t seem to convey that type of passage of time. 

               Finn is weird type of character. I feel ambivalent about him and feel sorry for the marriage.

               But Trollope does make a comment on marriage with Laura and Kennedy.  Her unhappiness in marrying.  Her only fault is not marrying for love while Kennedy seems stiff and uncomplaining  But I don’t’ think that she and Phineas would have been happy considering how quickly his emotions shift.  He even considering throwing over Mary.

               Weird guy, weird book.  Good enough and Finn is sympathetic enough that you don’t put it down in disgust.  Like Madame.  A good strong and smart character.  Glendora  has matured nicely.  Like the concerned Meyrick.  Plantagenet hasn’t change.  Wish he had made more of a mention of Grey and Alice.