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deep, dark secrets
14 Nov 06
I’ve been thinking whether Fall On Your Knees has staying power as literature beyond its gripping, Cape Breton Gothic plot. In response to an email exchange with my beloved, I searched Amazon’s “Search in this Book” feature for the keywords frances cut hair. Here’s what comes up:
- on Page 98: “… Mercedes and Frances breathe the name to each other as a kind of … woman in a wide hat and an old- fashioned dress cut low, with a rose in her lap. …”
- on Page 174: “… Otherwise it has been obliterated by a riot of rust and brassy browns. Frances wears her hair in braids too, just like Lily and Mercedes, although hers writhe with escape-artist locks that by the end of the day bounce free. She cuts her own bangs. …”
- on Page 189: “… you how much we love you and you forgive us for ever teasing you and then you die, okay?” “Okay, Frances.” Mercedes would be motherly Meg, and Frances would be tomboy Jo who cuts off her hair but gets married in the end, …”
- on Page 193: “… “Why did she say look after me?” Frances doesn’t take her eyes off Lily, she just says evenly, “Because she loved you, Lily.” .. I love her too.” Tears. Frances puts out a hand and barely strokes Lily’s long hair that’s never been cut. …”
- on Page 233: “… The Old French Mine 233 Eustace does is poke at an old and tender bruise that reminds Frances what a bad apple she really is. Frances has been going stir-crazy waiting for her life to begin. She has cut the sleeves off most of her dresses and shortened them herself-uneven is all the rage. …”
- on Page 272: “… She shows him a picture of Louise Brooks. He shakes his head. “I don’t know how to cut ladies’ hair-” “I’m not a lady.” “Listen, dear-” She grabs his scissors, lops off one of her braids and says, “Now fix …”
- on Page 332: “… Pearleen Campbell works at Ferguson’s Funeral Parlor, she washed the body, there was a homemade cut in the belly, Pearleen and Teresa were girls together that’s how Teresa knows. Years ago, Teresa took a big check …”
- on Page 396: “… pen, crisp memos scrolled into pigeonholes. This is the type of office Mercedes would like some day. Someday I will cut off all my hair and enter the convent. I will teach. …”
The results are a bit clumsy, but 2, 3, 4, 6 and 8 resonate strongly. There’s at least an undergrad essay in hair imagery and character in the novel.
It seems like stating the obvious to say I wish I had tools like this when I was studying English. It also seems obvious that by clamping down on content through ever tightening copyright restrictions, publisher’s are limiting if not prohibiting this kind of research. I’d like to dig a little deeper but can’t pull up lengthier excerpts to view these quotes in context. Of course, I could just look at the book itself, but I happen to have left it at home today.
I also discovered the book’s truly deepest, darkest secret.
Posted by pzed on November 14, 2006 at 11.39am
Categories: fragments, gothic, scripture
