Hi All,
I've been a relatively silent member for some time now, only occasionally posting comments. I'm currently writing on _them_ and am trying to work out a particular passage. (If you haven't read _them_ you might want to stop reading this post; plot discussion follows). I'm thinking specifically about the prologue (if that's even the right word for it) to Book Two. (Pg 228: I'm using the 2000 Modern Language edition). I "get" that Maureen is having a clairvoyant or out-of-body experience but I'm wondering about why the section begins with this sequence of events and then repeats within the standard narrative time on page 332. While the second occurrence is not constructed verbatim, it is the same sequence and comes within a longer example of Maureen's escape to the safety of the – I don't want to say "spiritual," but perhaps detached experience of life. She clearly values the life in books more than she appreciates her real-world experience. Is this just an example of her finding solace outside of the real world? By page 332, she is not speaking and is recovering from her traumatic experience with Furlong. Can I call this "clairvoyance?" Is it a successful, transformative event? Is it more real than what's happening in the real world? But most of all: Why repeat it?
I appreciate any discussion or encouragement about these statements.
best
tai
