Content-Transfer-Encoding: |
8bit |
Sender: |
|
Subject: |
|
From: |
|
Date: |
Thu, 22 Jan 2004 16:22:37 -0500 |
Content-Type: |
text/plain; charset="us-ascii" |
MIME-Version: |
1.0 |
Reply-To: |
|
Parts/Attachments: |
|
|
I have not read Kaplan's book--yet. I agree with Hal that we
should not become fixated on duality. Yet, I do believe we need to keep
this approach to Twain open as a useful means for understanding the
man--if not his work. This idea of a dual nature did not arise with
Freud, or Nietzche, for that matter, with his Apollonian and Dionysian
separation of human personality. I suppose Plato and Aristotle had
something to do with this notion of duality, two realms of existence and
such. Perhaps the perspective pre-dates the Greeks.
Personally, I find understanding what I see as Twain's divided
self to still be a fascinating project. No need to abandon a model that
has yet to be fully developed and provides, I think, one of the more
fruitful paths into the mind--and spirit--of Mark Twain. Twain is surely
a singular fellow but not necessarily a singular personality.
Jason
|
|
|