(urth) PEACE: Gift Exchange

[Helen Algmin]

Dave, I think this is a great explanation for the gift exchange.  I didn’t even pick up on him coming “down” for breakfast.  I am laughing with Joe, though, because the first time I read Peace I thought, “TOILET water? That’s a TERRIBLE gift!”


Dave Tallman <davetallman at msn.com> wrote:  I started thinking about the Christmas gift exchange (pearls for toilet 
water) in the first chapter, and what it reveals about Weer's family.

I don't believe Mr. Elliot did it. Not that he didn't sleep with Mab that
night; Roy Lackey proved he that did in this post: 
http://www.urth.net/urth/archives/v0210/1901.txt.shtml. But "Old
men... do not make such gifts."

I believe that Della did it, but her motive wasn't generosity. She 
exploited her social inferiors (e.g. Mrs. Green as her "slavey").
The exchange was malicious, like her "Call me Della." It told Mab
"I know what you're up to with my father." This seems to have worked
as intended -- after her initial joy, Mab rushed upstairs to her room
and remained there half a day.

If you prefer a supernatural explanation, note that Mr. Elliot didn't
say the midnight visitor was "St. Nick," but "Old Nick" (the Devil).
A malicious gift exchange is more in his line of work than Santa's.
While he was at it, he could have replaced one or more stories in
"The Green Fairy Book" with wicked prophecies.

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