Discuss Pages: page 39 feeling sorry for Richard?

Bottom of Page

1 to 3 of 3

  1.  
  1.  
    Not sure why people are feeling sorry for Richard. After all women appear to be objects to him. Richard has his dalliances and challenges his wife to do so, too. But when she does and finds love, according to a possibly unreliable narrator, Molly, Richard must have her back. He does not care for Marion's happiness. Oh, and he can't get a hard-on with his wife? Come on, it's the oldest line in the book. A doctor colleague used that one on my newly divorced and fragile mother in the 70's, made her feel noble, I suppose. Then he slid away after a one night stand. Guess what? He could get a hard-on. AND Richard thinks about "sending Marion away." Think about the power of being able to send your wife away, a discarded object. At that time a wife could be subjected to electro-shock therapy just cause hubby said she was crazy. While he maybe a predictable product of a certain class in a certain period of time and place his sense of entitlement in the scene with Anna, when he comes up for coffee, seals it for me—he is not to be pitied.
  2.  
    Agree. He says himself something like, oh come on, I'm not a Bluebeard ..., but of course in literature when you usually say 'not' it's a negative which is not heard ... i.e., he is a Bluebeard.

    The Bluebeard references, the strong hints at V.Woolf and Bloomsbury .. I wish these had been picked up by the Readers. And it is a feminist book, from the 50s-60s, when challenging men's roles was new and very risky. So I agree with you.
  3.  
    Funny, I didn't realize how annoyed I was with Richard's character until I read comments about "feeling sorry" for him and then started writing my own response. Maybe I came on strong but even Richard's open confessions ring false with me. He seems a well practiced manipulator. All the characters at this point seem well practiced in the guises they present to the world. Maybe Anna will break out.

1 to 3 of 3

  1.