"...I lie like Judas." (p. 212)
Another Biblical reference. Or is it really a Biblical reference? "Judas" (scroll down) has become part of the language. If you call anyone Judas, he both gets the point and doesn't like it. No one says, "That's in the Bible. I don't believe that stuff!"
I have read this story at least once before but had completely forgotten what happens in it. It is emotionally unpleasant and the word "Judas" is appropriate. In order to stay in the wilderness, the narrator, Pete, wants to marry Jo so he tells her that he has split up from Marie although he has not - yet. Jo wants to phone Marie which, of course, would have exposed Pete's lie so he does wind up going back to Marie who does not know what has happened. Several of Anderson's short stories have emotionally unpleasant endings and this is one of them. The meaning of the title becomes clear at the end. I hope to return to something more cheerful but might not succeed: "The House of Sorrows"?
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
While I agree "Fortune Hunter" is one of Anderson's grimmer, even unpleasant stories, that should not deter us from reading them. Stories like this and "Murphy's Hall" shows how Anderson was willing to examine every possibility, bad as well as good.
Ad astra! Sean
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