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percy-l - [percy-l] Posted for Janet Cantor

percy-l AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Percy-L: Literary, Religious, Scientific, and Philosophical Discussion of Walker Percy

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  • From: Percy-L Listserv Manager <percy.listserv.manager AT gmail.com>
  • To: Percy-L Submission <percy-l AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [percy-l] Posted for Janet Cantor
  • Date: Tue, 17 Jun 2025 13:54:32 -0400

Posted for Janet Cantor 
(her new direct email address: honeyjbc AT gmail.com)

--
Hi Rhonda, As usual wonderful thought provoking questions. 

My first question to add to yours is, does anyone see anything strange between Will's deja vu vs. his amnesia? They seem to be an odd combination of opposite adversities for someone to have.

I read the book a long time ago and don't remember anything about it so I will be reading it, so to speak, for the first time as I fulfill the reading assignments each week. I don't have any familiarity with Doestoyevsky's The Idiot. So that does not add to my understanding of this book. I will later on read the notes we were given, but I want to wait until I have read more of the book.

The narrative voice is so good it seems to be Will telling us everything. I always think Percy is serious and funny at the same time. He uses irony and mockery, and compassion as well. It is a marvelous combination. I am guessing the Psychiatrist is someone Percy invented because of his own interest in maybe becoming a psychiatrist.

The way the Vaught family members each easily take up Will is funny. And they each see in him what is convenient for each one to see. Will becomes what they want him to be to fulfill some need in each of them. In the meantime he is mostly none of what they see. This reminds me of Chance the gardener in Jerzy Kosinski's Being There who is a nonentity who is interpreted to be a genius because his empty responses make each person see him as perfectly understanding what each person says.

Kitty somewhat reminds me of Kate in The Moviegoer so far. Anyone else feel this way?

Janet Cantor


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  • [percy-l] Posted for Janet Cantor, Percy-L Listserv Manager, 06/17/2025

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