{Love and Sex (7)}[18th September 1989]

[Redbook6:268][19890918:1534]{Love and Sex (7)}[18th September 1989]

.1534

*Cultures can be divided, I’ve no doubt, in many ways, and one of them is this: by which a man,|** wandering alone in the forest, comes across a moonlit or a sunlit glade, and within it, intent upon her own affairs (as it might be, bathing in the stream) and utterly unconscious of him, a young woman, naked and perfectly lovely – lovely, that is, to perfection.

In one culture – the high culture: of Greek mythology for the most part, of mediaeval chivalry, I believe of Edwardian Britain – he watches, spellbound, for a moment of pure enchantment; and then, recollecting himself, silently steals away: either to court her, without ever telling her, or at least until his courtship is successful, of his vision; or alternatively, never to see her again except in a treasured memory.

The point is what he would do, not so much in actual life, but in fiction: and what he would be expected to do in actual life, by the norms of acceptable behaviour.

In the other culture, – the low culture, our culture – he, with a cry: ‘Worrrr! Getta bitta that then!’ leaps on her. Even in fiction.***

*{[[Redbook6:212-213][19890818:1554c]{Love and Sex (6)}[18th August 1989],] 212→}

**(long interruption)

***{→ [[Redbook6:280-281][19890929:1727#]{A Dream: Of Following xS}[29th September 1989],] 280,

[[Redbook6:281-283][19890929:1727#]{Love and Sex (8)}[29th September 1989],] 281}

[PostedBlogger25052020]