Thanks for a wonderful thread so far.  I'm very grateful for these helpful
comments;  that said, a few things I think I currently think (this morning,
subject to further change, to which I am entitled):

I think I'll tone down the "favorite daughter" stuff.  Speaking as a past
offender, perhaps; but also, more simply, it is not a crucial element
anyway.

I think parents often do have favorites, though the rhetoric is often more
about being impartial.  (for teachers out there-- consider your own
students; don't we have favorites in the classroom, though we often try to
mask it?).  And there is much language insinuating such a view, by both
parents.

I do think children often know who is the "favorite," and there is a
comment by Clara to that effect, re: Susy.

I think Linda is right on, about Livy's special bonding with Susy.  There
was a very very special bond there, not to say very weird.

I think Judith brings up interesting thoughts about first-borns (or in this
case eldest living).

As for comments pre- and post-mortem:  consider the newly-edited "A Record
of Small Foolishness," which Ben talked about last year at Elmira.  It has
numerous references to Susy as not unlike Jesus--pretty strong stuff.  Many
of these show up, 40 years later, in the Autobiography--or something very
like them.  So yes, there may be some idolatry going on after death.  But
there are strong statements before as well.

I'll also mention in passing (though somewhat related)-- Barb Snedecor has
a wonderful essay in the ALR a couple years ago, about Mark and Livy's
grief over Langdon, with excellent quotes from the letters, especially
unpublished ones of Livy.

thanks again for these many great thoughts and suggestions, this LIST
should get a place in the Mark Twain hall of fame!! --Hal B.




On Thu, Jun 19, 2014 at 3:43 PM, Kevin Mac Donnell <
[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> All true, but I think much of what he says about Susie comes after her
> death, when both he and Livy realized what they'd lost. I'd separate pre
> and
> post mortem comments about Susie and see how they compare to the pre and
> post mortem comments he made about Jean. You might find similarities. Too
> bad somebody didn't strangle Clara so we could make comparisons across the
> board for all three daughters. Hmm... did I just say that last thing out
> loud?
>
> Kevin
> @
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>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [log in to unmask]
> Sent: Thursday, June 19, 2014 1:59 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Susy as "favorite child"??
>
> I haven't done a line-by-line study of the Autobiography (and don't intend
> to), but my impression is that he spends about as much time talking about
> Suzy as he does for the other two girls combined. Besides all of his
> comments about her "biography" of him, he spends time talking about her
> tendency to ponder deep questions even at an early age -- and even throws
> in
> a quote from someone else (I forget who) about how remarkable a girl she
> was. It's pretty clear that he was very fond of Clara and Jean too, but I
> don't think he talks about either of them in the same way.
>
> -- Bob G.
>



-- 
Prof. Harold K. Bush
Professor of English
3800 Lindell
Saint Louis University
St. Louis, MO  63108
314-977-3616 (w); 314-771-6795 (h)
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