From: owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org (shindell-list-digest) To: shindell-list-digest@smoe.org Subject: shindell-list-digest V8 #10 Reply-To: shindell-list@smoe.org Sender: owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk shindell-list-digest Sunday, January 22 2006 Volume 08 : Number 010 Today's Subjects: ----------------- [RS] Re: Mavis [John McDonnell ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 21 Jan 2006 15:26:49 -0500 From: John McDonnell Subject: [RS] Re: Mavis Hi All, Adam wrote: >>Basically I took the bird as freedom since that is the general use and thought the song was a metaphor for the United States trying to close its borders in order to protect itself - trying to trap freedom inside the USA rather than letting it fly...free.<< This is an interesting take on the song, and I had never thought of it as in any way political, but I don't think such an interpretation is out of place on Vuelta, which seems to have more political content (albeit subtle) than his other works. The castle, then, could be the country itself, solid yet crumbling and vulnerable despite the boys' efforts--Mavis/freedom should be our real focus?? John's focus on the mother's concern (Baby it's just too far) was in line with my wife's view of the focus of the song--parental concern and overprotection. She, unlike I, did not think the presence of the bird at the beach was an incongruity. She imagined the little girl imploring her mother to take the bird with them so that Mavis, too, could enjoy the beach and be with other birds, and the mother finally relenting. Mavis, then, is not a free bird (yech!), but a way of being in the world and an attempt to find one's place in it, I suppose. John McD ------------------------------ End of shindell-list-digest V8 #10 **********************************