tween Sunday School training and
exposure to the
Kinsey Report,
the dilemma of Willie Keith, al–
though it can add no new dimen–
sion to their lives or depth to
their experience, must seem com–
pletely "true to life" and over–
whelmingly poignant. Even the
falsity of his hard-won "maturity,"
which enables him to assert his
love by suddenly disregarding the
profound social differences be–
tween himself and Marie, is ac–
cepted by an audience eager for
a description of love more mean–
ingful than moonlight and roses
but which still does not deprive
them of the consolation of a happy
ending. Virtue must still be re–
warded; it is only that the rules
defining virtue have been modi–
fied by the economic necessity
for delayed marriages and by
the back seats of forty million
automobiles. Willie's virtue in lov–
ing Marie despite her affair with
the bandleader is rewarded with
the revelation that she has not
really
slept with the man. It is
as though Mr. Wouk were sub-
paintings of
The Woman
by
de Kooning
preview March 16
SIDNEY JANIS 15 EAST 57
255
consciously attuned to the precise
degree of sexual liberation which
the popular mind is ready to grant
to American youth, as well as to
the exact amount of traditional
romance with which the depiction
of the liberation must be leavened.
Indeed, any analysis of the
most successful components of pop–
ular culture would compel us to
refer to the ability of men like
Mr. Wouk to let us have our cake
and eat it, to stimulate us with–
out unduly provoking us, to make
us feel that we are thinking with–
out really forcing us to think.
Just as Willie's virtue is reward–
ed with the revelation of his girl's
purity, so are his heroism and his
steadfast support of Maryk re–
warded with a medal, a command,
and a hero's return. Keefer, on
the other hand, is punished for
his sophistry, irresponsibility and
cowardice, not by official action,
but-what is worse for him-by
the consciousness of his ineradic–
able inadequacy despite his literary
success. And Maryk, in what is
perhaps the neatest touch of all,
RECENT PAINTINGS
RICHARD POUSETTE-DART
BRADLEY TOMLIN
•
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GALLERY -
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