i asked:
> so did the bitch wife kill francis on
purpose
> or was it an accident? hmm... ?
then george said: I've been wondering the same thing since my
10th grade English teacher asked the class that very
question. I personally like to think of it as an accident.
But any reading I give it comes out sounding misogynist, and
I don't think the author so intended, so I don't talk about
it much.
That, of course, is what makes this story great--the not
knowing.
******************************************
the reason i asked is because i recently read some commentary
that said it was perfectly reasonable to think it was an
accident. now this is a pretty bold thing to say, considering
that for years the critics have taken it for granted that it
was murder. i think the great white hunter (sorry, i can't
remem- ber his name) thinks she did it on purpose. or at
least dialogue points in that direction.
it reminds me of another, less subtle, story with an unknown
outcome, o'henry's "lady and the tiger". i had an old lady
english teacher in high school that would laugh and say there
was no question about that ending either. according to her
there was no way the girl was going to give up her boyfriend
to some hot babe. it was the tiger. hmm... pretty darned
cynical. so much for "hope springs eternal." haha. that
teacher was mrs. offuit. god, she was bold. she had to teach
the bible, and i remember reading job and she asked us what
we thought of job's deal at the end. "would you be happy if
god killed your spouse but gave you another one in the end?"
i hope i remember the story correctly and haven't made a fool
of myself (again).
miker
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