Re: Defending Vonnegut

Byrd, Steven T (BYRDS@papa.uncp.edu)
Thu, 25 Mar 1999 18:54:19 +0000 

 Man, hookers and rodney dangerfield flicks both in one day. Looks like 
the bananafish are turning it up a notch! We are on some kind of roll in 
here. And who said literature was stodgy?

(stb)

On Thu, 25 Mar 1999, Florie Sommers wrote:

> Jim,
> 
> Please disregard my last e-mail to you. This is exactly the point I
> wanted you to address.
> 
> You know hookers?
> 
> Florie
> 
> 
> >From: blah b b blah <jrovira@juno.com>
> >Reply-To: bananafish@lists.nyu.edu
> >To: bananafish@lists.nyu.edu
> >Subject: Defending Vonnegut
> >Date: 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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