tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9878002.post6196043453622597863..comments2024-03-18T20:40:58.184-05:00Comments on PERPETUAL FOLLY: The New Yorker: "Asleep in the Lord" by Jeffrey EugenidesUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9878002.post-59807337247030586832011-06-30T16:12:59.935-05:002011-06-30T16:12:59.935-05:00Since the "story" is an excerpt from a n...Since the "story" is an excerpt from a novel, we'll get to find out what he does!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05886890881221225553noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9878002.post-8864719985884434122011-06-30T15:17:43.248-05:002011-06-30T15:17:43.248-05:00I had the feeling that Mitchell leaves to go to Th...I had the feeling that Mitchell leaves to go to Thailand or somewhere like that (or was that obvious and I am being dense?). He seems to feel like he cannot live up to sainthood after all and that no matter what he does he will never "feel" the good works he is doing. <br /> Towards the end he blows up at Mike, the character who serves as the trope that Mitchell uses to cast his stones upon. Mitchell just washed a dying man's tumorous scrotum and then he sees Mike who is more drawn to petite, dark skinned Thai girls. <br /> Maybe Mitchell is a saint and I am missing it. Maybe he goes to the Ganges and becomes more spiritual. But I think that he finds himself caught between Sainthood and Hedonism, and then he meets the German traveller who is not bad, not good, and keeps his needs very minimal. It reminds me of the Issa haiku, 'Not a devil, not a saint, just a sea slug.'Brianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08596880499191567653noreply@blogger.com