Defending Vonnegut
blah b b blah (jrovira@juno.com)
Thu, 25 Mar 1999 17:22:42 -0500 (EST)
What happens to beautiful women in this society, if they are uneducated,
is that they only have one card to play, and that's their bods and their
smiles. Flirt here, bat eyes there, put out when it's really necessary
and may was well enjoy yourself if you can, a girl does what she has to
in order to get ahead...
I know a few of these. The worst of them are hookers, the best usually
marry pretty rich. It depends on the level of self respect and her life
experiences.
But you educate that woman, and she learns she has more going for her
than her bod, and that she can make her own way without being anyone's
victim. She may still have to prostitute herself in some ways, but not
any more than any man has to in order to get ahead, and not in any
serious, loss of self respect way.
So yeah, I can see how Vonnegut would say everything stops if you educate
a beautiful woman. It's a pity he didn't have the patience to understand
and appreciate a beautiful, educated woman and know what makes her
"clocks tick." Just takes a little bit a patience and paying attention.
Now, I have a further question...did "Vonnegut" say that, or a character
in one of his novels? There is a difference, you know...
Jim
<writeflorie@hotmail.com> writes:
>"thinking about beautiful [intelligent] women distracts the male mind"
>
>I was hoping that this is what he meant because the idea that a
>beautiful woman isn't worth anything if she's educated made me puke
>right here in my seat.
>
>
>>From: BOWNELINE@aol.com
>>Reply-To: bananafish@lists.nyu.edu
>>To: bananafish@lists.nyu.edu
>>Subject: Re: Sunday Times article
>>Date: Thu, 25 Mar 1999 10:40:44 -0500 (EST)
>>
>>I suppose that he means that beautiful woman do no put out anymore if
>
>your
>>educate them. But it is a clumsy analogy. Can you suggest how to
>>restructure it, using the same terms, to better convey the apparent
>meaning.
>>Certainly not "A beautiful woman is like a fine swiss watch, if you
>pour honey
>>on her she will stop working." That makes more sense that "A fine
>swiss
>>watch is like a beautiful woman, if you educate it it will stop
>working." I
>>think the analogy cannot be rehabilitated. My theory is that
>Vonnegut's brain
>>wasn't functioning properly when he stated it: "Vonnegut's brain
>works
>like a
>>fine swiss watch into which honey has been poured when he is thinking
>
>about
>>the implications of educating beautiful women." Or "thinking about
>beautiful
>>women distracts the male mind" Who could disaggree with that??
>>JTB
>
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