328
PARTISAN REVIEW
party came as a major pleasure. However, he tried to conceal his
delight, saying that he had promised to spend the evening with two
of his friends, Nicholas O'Neil and Wilhelmina Gold.
"Bring them too," said Grant, as Arthur Harris, the other owner
of the press, entered the office, returning from lunch. Since nine
o'clock in the morning Arthur had heard more and more strangers
invited to the party. Hearing of this fresh addition, he had difficulty
in concealing the annoyance which rose to his face. However, he
greeted Shenandoah with a warmth which broke through his annoy–
ance, asking the youthful author what he was writing now? Another
dialogue?
The mixed and complicated character of this question, as it
struck Shenandoah, can be understood only by mentioning the nature
of the youthful author's first work. It was a satirical dialogue between
Freud and Marx in which Freud comes to agree that capitalism
is organized anal eroticism when Marx agrees in return that the
oedipus complex is an oppression rooted in the ownership of the
means of production. In asking Shenandoah if he was writing a new
dialogue, Arthur did not intend to make an ironic remark. But it was
ironic. And the irony, though inspired by Arthur's annoyance at the
new additions to the New Year's party, had an objective foundation
in the fact that the youthful author's first work might well be an
accident and not the proof of a lasting gift. Although Shenandoah
recognized the irony, and sought to disregard it, he misunderstood
its true cause. He thought that Arthur supposed him capable of com–
posing nothing but satirical dialogues, a misunderstanding inspired
in him
by
the deep fear that
it
might be true.
Nonetheless Shenandoah said nothing in reply and decided to re–
turn to the rooming house where he lived. When he had closed the
glassed door of the office, Arthur criticized Grant for his indiscriminate
invitations. Since both of them were intellectuals, both resorted to
theories about the nature of a party and about each other's characters.
A party at which too many of the guests are strangers is likely to fall
fl at, Arthur argued.
"There is enough alienation in modern life," he said roundly,
"without installing it in the living room."
"Everyone is interesting," Grant replied and it was true that
he found everyone interesting.
"Everyone is interesting to you," said Arthur harshly, "because
you talk all the time -"
