Sunday, 7 November 2021

Fenn's Anger

The Fleet Of Stars, 6.

"'Don't worry, Mamita. Credit me with the brains I got from you and Sire. I'm not about to go demonstrate in the passages, or throw rocks, or otherwise make an anus of myself.'

"'No,' she agreed softly, 'you are too intelligent for that.'" (p. 87)

(I dislike this use of the word, "anus," especially in conversation with Fenn's mother.)

Here my perspective differs from Anderson's. Many highly intelligent people demonstrate - and do not throw rocks.

When he further assures her that he is not planning to start a revolution, she warms him not to get caught up in one and affirms that quiet revolutions with unpredictable outcomes are indeed happening everywhere. This gives him "...a flash of exhilaration..." (p. 88)
 
Unpredictability is exhilarating but, since Fenn knows that some kind of change is necessary, he needs to clarify what kind of change, then join with others to bring it about, whether or not this is called a revolution. 

1 comment:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

And I agree more with the contempt Anderson had for most demonstrations than with the approval you have for them. This might be partly because of how much more noisy, raucous, "in your face," even violent demonstrations in the US seem to be compared to those in the UK. British demonstrations seem to be far more gentlemanly!

Ad astra! Sean