Geoff, I loved your comments! You're right - the lack of framing in Babel's story almost mirrors the mysterious curve of Lenin's straight line! Having thought about it more, the lack of framing also nicely echoes his admonishment to the old woman "I didn't come here to reason with you" (or, in another translation "I'm in no mood to start…
Geoff, I loved your comments! You're right - the lack of framing in Babel's story almost mirrors the mysterious curve of Lenin's straight line! Having thought about it more, the lack of framing also nicely echoes his admonishment to the old woman "I didn't come here to reason with you" (or, in another translation "I'm in no mood to start debating with you!") - there is no dwelling on this moral quandry for our narrator, no rationalisation can be achieved, no justification made. It is, simply, what it is.
And yes, there would be no wonderful Savitsky introduction with a tightly framed story. Or it would be less impactful. It is as if the framing puts the first person perspective more in focus with Lu's 'An Incident', but in Babel's 'My First Goose', its absence allows us to slide a little into other perspectives - Savitsky, the Quartermaster, the Old Woman, the Cossacks.
Thanks again for your reply - I really enjoyed it and it pushed to venture down the rabbit hole (or along that mysterious curve) a little further...
Just re-reading this and appreciate what you say about the absence of a frame allowing us to slide a little easier into other perspectives - that totally makes sense to me.
Geoff, I loved your comments! You're right - the lack of framing in Babel's story almost mirrors the mysterious curve of Lenin's straight line! Having thought about it more, the lack of framing also nicely echoes his admonishment to the old woman "I didn't come here to reason with you" (or, in another translation "I'm in no mood to start debating with you!") - there is no dwelling on this moral quandry for our narrator, no rationalisation can be achieved, no justification made. It is, simply, what it is.
And yes, there would be no wonderful Savitsky introduction with a tightly framed story. Or it would be less impactful. It is as if the framing puts the first person perspective more in focus with Lu's 'An Incident', but in Babel's 'My First Goose', its absence allows us to slide a little into other perspectives - Savitsky, the Quartermaster, the Old Woman, the Cossacks.
Thanks again for your reply - I really enjoyed it and it pushed to venture down the rabbit hole (or along that mysterious curve) a little further...
Just re-reading this and appreciate what you say about the absence of a frame allowing us to slide a little easier into other perspectives - that totally makes sense to me.