Re: JCO: The Falls

Hi Cyrano and Anna,

I have been listening in on this and other similar conversations about
"poor Ariah" and wish to offer some thoughts about the woman.

I don't see her as a villain, as I understand villainy to be more
intentionally hurtful than these actions of hers.

I see her as, on the one hand, a woman terrified of the world outside
her control (aren't we all??) and doing what she can to protect
herself, and in a funny way, her children.

I also see her as someone who wishes to find her own way, however
misguided we may view it, and as her story plays out,
this impression is confirmed for me.

It is this quality of JCO's writing that I personally am so taken
with, in that she seems able to articulate the deep complexity of
human motivation and relationships, and for me, at least, I find it
very hard to identify either villains or victims (per se) in her
works, however villainous or passive a particular individual may be.

It's certainly not that I would have agreed with many of Ariah's
actions if I had been her friend, but if I had been her friend I would
have had some understanding of her fears and dreams that drove her in
these directions.

I'm loving the depth this conversation is going.

ruth

On 2-Mar-05, at 10:19 PM, LSULLA@aol.com wrote:

ArialHi Cyrano,

Arial 

ArialLet me think about this.  By
no means is Ariah a "stock" villian.  However, her self-centered
behavior created a series of malevolent consequences.  This is a 
short list of  her psychological crimes:

Arial 

Ariala)  she was silent and
hostile to the minister after the wedding night and no doubt drove him
over the edge

Arial 

Arialb)  she cut off the
minister's parents and denied them any knowledge of their son's last
hours.

Arial 

Arialc)  she cut off her parents
and deprived her children of a relationship with their grandparents

Arial 

Ariald)  she isolated herself
from Dirk's law practice and  provided  absolutely no solace to him

Arial when he took on a very
important and difficult case. Dirk went through the anguish of losing
his friends and his social position alone.  She did nothing to comfort
him.

Arial 

Ariale) she stunted the
development of her children.

Arial 

Arialf)  she disinherited her
children from their father's estate and forced them to live in penury.

Arial 

Arialg)  she crushed her young
daughter and drove her to psychosis

Arial 

Arialh)  she denied her children
knowledge of their father's background and of his heroism

Arial 

ArialThe crazy family of grifters
in "My Heart Laid Bare" caused less damage than Ariah.  The actress
sister in "A Bloodsmoor Romance"  who almost killed Mark Twain during
lovemaking caused less harm than Ariah.

Arial 

ArialAlma in "The Tatooed Girl" 
was vulnerable and damaged.  She perforned nasty and anti-semitic acts
 to ingratiate herself with her asshole "boyfriend".  She was
disadvantaged and unloved but she was not 1% as threathening as Ariah.
Anyway,  Alma redeemed herself in the end.

Arial 

ArialThere was no  redemption for
Ariah.

Arial 

ArialAnna

Arial 

Arial 

Arial