Date: Mon, 17 Apr 1995 17:07:32 -0400
From: Ladydonut-AT-aol.com
Subject: re:mermaids in poco lit


    The idea of a mermaid, a poisoned mermaid in a novel from Chile led me to
seek out a myth or fairy tale in that country.  I would not be surprised to
see mention of a leprechon in a novel from Ireland as a devise in the plot.  
    In the House of the Spirits, none seem surprised in the references to
Rosa being a mermaid.  There are references to the dog Barrabas as having "
hoof-like paws" and "galloping". Perhaps it is not just the idea of a
"mermaid" but of an ancient paganism which stirs up Poseidon, the ruler of
the sea. He also gave the first horse to man (Barrabas? why compare a dog to
a horse?).
    When Rosa dies there is a smell of roses. The Narcissus myth?
    To DLangston: You may have something in Homer. Perhaps we are dealing
with "the other" or a character who somehow signifies "hybridity" in a time
at the dawning of Christianity. 

This thought leads me to ask, especially  with the time change patterns in
the HOSpirits, why should time in a postcolonial text be restricted to a
certain time or space? 
 
Of additional interest: The idea of body. A mermaid, or merman, is never
possessed by another!

Ladydonut (Linda E. Neville) -AT-aol.com



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