254
the middle sector. Nevertheless he
is also reminded by his parents and
by columnists, whose sensible ad–
vice to the lovelorn is increasingly
spiced with modern psychiatric
lingo, of the dangers inherent in
romance between young people
whose family backgrounds are "in–
compatible."
In any case, Willie cannot bring
himself to break off with Marie,
and when he returns to the West
Coast from his first Pacific cruise,
he impetuously goes to bed with
her. Here the reader is brought
from the world of impossible ro–
mance into a world that he knows
perfectly well exists. The author
makes it quite clear that the
couple have transgressed, although
they are young, healthy and heed–
less; thus the reader has the
double advantage of feeling that
the love affair is realistic while
protecting his moral sense. Marie,
however, refuses to repeat the ex–
perience with Willie, who appre–
ciates her new-found reserve, but
begins to wonder if he can pos–
sibly love a girl who has given
JUNG'S PSYCHOLOGY
&
ITS SOCIAL
MEANING by Ira Progoff
5.00
LIVING TIME by Maurice Nicoll.
4.50
A HISTORY OF ESTHETICS by Katharine
Everett Gilbert. Revised
&
enlarged
7.50
THE LITTLE REVIEW ANTHOLOGY edt. by
Margaret Anderson
3.95
MAKE IT NEW by Ezra Pound
5.00
T. S. ELIOT: A BIBLIOGRAPHY by Donald
Gallup. Contributions to periodicals
6.25
A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF JAMES JOYCE by John
J. Slocum
&
H. Cahoon (1882·1941)
6.00
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&
other lists
Free on Request.
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41 WEST 47th STREET
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herself to him so easily, even
if
only once.
Although the reader knows that
Willie is still rationalizing his snob–
bishness, Willie
goe..~
on torturing
himself until his naval experiences
bring him maturity and the need
for permanent companionship.
When he returns to New York in
command of the
Caine
at the end
of the war, he finds Marie singing
for a prominent dance-band lead–
er, and apparently living with
him too. But now Willie is no
longer a boy. He stands his ground
and announces to Marie that he
is going to take her away from
the bandleader and marry her;
she, fearing that Willie is simply
feeling sorry for her, reveals that
she has not
really
been sleeping
with the bandleader, although
everyone thinks so. At the close
of the book it seems fairly certain
that Willie will win the girl.
Here I think is an almost per–
fect correspondence between cur–
rent sexual morality and the reali–
ties of the American experience.
For a reading public caught
be-
LOUIS
mar 9-28
SCHANKER
REUVEN
april 20 - may 9
RUB I N
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