In Homebody and Treasure Box OSC has the main character find the Perfect Woman but he does not end up with her. Oh, I am reading The Memory of Earth now and it seems to be going that way as well. Why does he do this?
Posted by Slash the Berzerker (Member # 556) on :
Because OSC wound up with the perfect woman, he knows there is only one, and he doesn't want to set the rest of you up for disappointment. He never has the main character get the perfect woman, so everyone will be prepared when they don't get her either.
Posted by WedgeAntilles (Member # 5154) on :
Slash, When the characters end up with the Other woman, they are happier. Since OSC has the perfect woman does that make him miserable while those of us whom he has prepared to not get the perfect woman are happier?
Posted by Amka (Member # 690) on :
Can you guys imagine what it would be like living with a perfect person, when we are not perfect ourselves?
Posted by WedgeAntilles (Member # 5154) on :
The perfect woman for a man does not mean that the woman has no faults - it just means that the woman is every thing that the man has ever wanted, or thinks that he wanted. In OSC stories these women turn out not to be the perfect woman because the man changes during the story and the other woman actually turns out to be the perfect woman for the man. I am just wondering why this is a prevalent event in OSC stories.
Posted by Magson (Member # 2300) on :
Because it's prevalent in real life?
I was about ready to propose to my "perfect woman." Blonde/blue, 36D/30/34, 5'6", 130 lbs for the physical aspects, and all that pulchritude was on top of a package of a woman I loved and who loved me back.
I went on a Mormon mission for 2 years and she "waited," meaning she was still available when I returned. We got back together for about a month, and then amicably ended the "bf/gf" reaationship, because, while we believe we would have been happy together, we believed more that we would be happier with other people.
I went to her wedding, she couldn't make it to mine, but she did try. We keep in contact via e-mail. My wife and she are good friends now too, and e-mail each other at least wice a week. We've all gotten together and visited, and in a week or so will be visiting her and her husband down in Vegas.
Was she my "perfect woman?" At the time, perhaps. But we grew, and now I'm actually married to my "perfect woman," and it's not who I thought it was.
1 anecdote among billions. . . .
Posted by ginette (Member # 852) on :
Yes, it is in even more books, like Charlie's wife in Saints. To me it seems like a moral lesson about how a man looks for a woman fullfilling desires that are not really the desires that count in the long run. So, as others already said, it's about growing up and finding out that what seemed like a perfect match at first wasn't really this perfect match because it was based on let's say the more superficial layers of one's personality. Something like that.
Oh, and about the why: OSC finds solid marriage very important, so I guess that's why he wants to give his view on the secret on how to find the one you can live a whole life with.
[ June 15, 2003, 04:50 PM: Message edited by: ginette ]
Posted by ginette (Member # 852) on :
And I am glad to see you back, WedgeAntilles Posted by Amka (Member # 690) on :
I so didn't get that, and what you guys said was definately true.
I will stand by what I said though too.
Posted by En Vista (Member # 3848) on :
Hey, good news, everybody. Since we idiots are (apparently) unable to find the perfect mate for ourselves, there is a pretty cool God out there that likes to handle stuff like that for us. Take a hint from the Homecoming Series (won't spoil it. If you've read the series, you know what I mean). Have some faith. Maybe this is irreverent, but to put things into modern terms, I like to think of God as my personal assistant. Life is complicated enough without having to worry about the minor details, so I delegate all of that stuff to God.
(Sorry, I just got back from a weeklong retreat. I'm just blissful.)
Posted by WedgeAntilles (Member # 5154) on :
En Vista, I hope the blissfulness lasts a very long time.
Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :
The lady in Enchantment was cute as well as smart. Of course, there was much frank discussion of Ivan's apparent shortcomings.
Also I was watching parts of "Defending your Life" last week where he's describing his ex-wife as too attractive. He had a theory that two people should be just attractive enough to turn each other on, and any excess creates problems.
Posted by WedgeAntilles (Member # 5154) on :
What is "Defending Your Life"?
Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :
"Defending your life" was an Albert Brooks film (Albert Brooks is discussed in the Rhino Article this week). Though maybe its discussion here is inappropriate due to the presence of Meryl Streep. I thought it was really funny. But there's no accounting for tastes. My husband's family owns "Ever After" on VHS and DVD.
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