Can we trust Clara's comments to something other than the biased perceptions of sibling rivalry? On Jun 20, 2014, at 11:31 AM, Hal Bush wrote: > 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 unpublished ones of Livy.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 >> @ >> Mac Donnell Rare Books >> 9307 Glenlake Drive >> Austin TX 78730 >> 512-345-4139 >> Member: ABAA, ILAB >> ************************* >> You may browse our books at: >> www.macdonnellrarebooks.com >> >> >> -----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) > <www.slu.edu/x23809.xml> Alan Kitty 908-310-2117 [log in to unmask] www.marktwainslaststand.com