PARTISAN REVIEW
101
"The sexual act
is
a pure thing. It is a fonn of spiritual inter–
course." Rollie swiveled away from Marvena and stared out the
window. He wanted her to consult her feelings privately. He turned
back quickly with another thought. He was strong now, sure of his
way. "Physical union was the price the two in the garden paid for
disobeying God. But God meant that carnal knowledge would be a
way, a long, suffering, but ultimately beautiful way, back into
spiritual identity with God. You see, when Nietzsche said God is
dead he -meant that the orgasm had been separated from its purpose.
In existential terms, man has lost contact with the original, spiritual
purpose of sexual life. He has lost touch with himself."
Marvena, her lipstick caked on her parted mouth, uttered a
small, bewildered sigh. "I never thought of that."
"What do you think?"
"About what?"
"About that."
"You mean that."
"Well, that's what we have been talking about, isn't it?" Rollie
believed in listening to his inner ear, the timing mechanism which
announced that the moment of truth was at hand. He remembered
the time Susan, a black-eyed Economics major, a type he had not
encountered, and the premature timing, the inner ear warning him,
but he had jumped the gun, and the whole construction, every brick
of irrefutable logic, crumbling like sand. He had tried Krafft-Ebing
on her, she was very bright. Marvena needed different tactics. She
was very good in class, but she had a book mind.
"I have a girl friend," M.arvena said, "she's pinned to
this
fellow in Law School. We have discussions about
this.
Aileen says
she couldn't walk down the aisle if she knew she had done anything.
So,
I asked her if Fred
is
just a soul mate. They've been going
together for a year. She says Fred believes a woman should
be
put on
a pedestal, but I know Fred, I used to go out with him, and every
once in a while you have to get off the pedestal. I don't mean
they should go the limit, although a lot of girls around here do. I
know a girl I won't mention her name, but everybody on the cam–
pus knows about her. Who's going to marry her? She is soiled linen,
a tramp. But
if
there
is
real love, maybe something like what you
say, a kind of spiritual thing, people who have lots of personality
and they like the same things, then I don't think it's so terrible
if
