When I was reading "Fourteen Experiments in Postal Delivery", I could not help but wonder just how weird the plot of this story went. Beyond that I did pick up on several literary references within the story.
For example, we have the guy sending her his "socks" in the mail. I think Van Gogh did the same with his ear, he wasn't crazy enough to give himself "cold feet" so to say.
The guy on the horse was a throwback to the Canterbury Tales by Geoffry Chaucer. He represents the Pardoner and the verse in that poem was modified from the General Prologue's description of the Pardoner. The Pardoner is also described there as either a eunuch or a homosexual. So I thought it pretty funny that she sent him to see her ex.
The letter where she got the bar may have some symbolism in it. The bar was owned by Harold Angel in Chapel hill. "Hark the Harold Angel sings". A gold leaf angel was also on the window to the bar. Angel's wife was also named Joy. "Joy to the world"
I am sure there is even more to digg up in this story. These were just some of the first ones that came to mind.
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2 comments:
Nice call with all the allusions and stuff. I'm usually blind to that kind of stuff unless it slaps me in the face (granted, this story definitely used lots of references). I like the way they mix with the very modern elements though- Long Island, skis... I thought that was cool the way the real and the surreal mix completely and the author was even nonchalant about it. Like here's USPS delivering a country, nice weather. :)
I didn't catch on to any of that stuff, but now that you pointed it all out to me, yeah, it all makes sense!
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