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From: friedman@uiucdcs.UUCP (friedman )
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Re: heinlein and FRIDAY - (nf)
Message-ID: <6030@uiucdcs.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 5-Mar-84 22:29:35 EST
Article-I.D.: uiucdcs.6030
Posted: Mon Mar  5 22:29:35 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 7-Mar-84 05:11:28 EST
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#R:hocse:-14300:uiucdcs:12500075:000:1250
uiucdcs!friedman    Mar  5 09:24:00 1984

Re. the criticism of Friday for falling in love with her rapist:

I don't think this is well taken.  For one thing, ordinary human psychology
doesn't necessarily extrapolate to Friday.  For example, it's clear that the
rape was not (as such) traumatic to her; with her mind control discipline,
she could and did simply turn it off.  In that long scene of which the rape
was part, she dispassionately recounts the several responses she considered
making to the rape.  The only rapist with whom she was upset (and very
much so) was the guy who was unclean and slapped her around.  So I don't
find her response to Mac/Pete/Percival all that odd, although it was kinda
quick.  Even that is understandable; she tends to respond to other APs
wherever and whenever she finds them (witness that gallant character who
runs away from her the second time she crosses from Canada to California).
Despite her statements that APs don't particularly stick together, every time
she discovers one, they stick together -- Mac, Tilly, whatsisname....  So
it does seem to be in character.  As for the rape being stuck in to "arouse
the audience (of men)", I think this is nonsense.  It certainly was not
described in a way that I think was erotic or arousing to anyone.