(urth) [EXTERNAL] Wolfe & Women

[David Stockhoff]

On January 30, 2020 7:27:04 AM EST, "Norwood, Frederick Hudson" <NORWOODR at mail.etsu.edu> wrote:
>In my experience, people who complain about having to be “politically
>correct” are people who want to say rude things and are really
>complaining about not being allowed to be rude.
>
>Rick
>
>From: Urth [mailto:urth-bounces at lists.urth.net] On Behalf Of Gem
>Caccetta
>Sent: Wednesday, January 29, 2020 2:15 PM
>To: urth at lists.urth.net
>Subject: [EXTERNAL] (urth) Wolfe & Women
>
>
>On Wed Jan 29 2020 Ab de Dos wrote:
>
>"I believe the politically correct accuse Wolfe likewise of being a
>christian misogynist…"
>
>
>
>I know Wolfe’s portrayal of women has been discussed many times on this
>list. I found this tidbit from my recent re-reading of Free Live Free
>interesting:
>
>Free says…”You like women, don’t you, Mr. Barnes?”
>
>“Like them?” Taken off guard Barnes considered for a moment. “Not
>really. I want them, and since I can’t have them, usually, I don’t like
>them. But I want them, I suppose you could say that. I admire Madame
>Serpentina.”
>
>
>I wouldn’t be surprised if this was Wolfe’s own attitude toward women
>speaking through Barnes. He could find things to admire in some women,
>but he didn’t really like them. Just my guess, for what it’s worth.
>
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I see no reason whatsoever to ascribe Barnes' attitude to Wolfe. That's not how authorship works. It's far more likely that the thought occasionally occurred to Wolfe as a question---do I actually like women, or do I merely find them necessary?---and he found it interesting enough to use for building a character's interiority. 
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