Friday, February 18, 2022

Example: THE GREAT SIGNIFICANCE OF CORRECT DATING--The Marital Crisis of 1867


 Ruth sent this to Mert in the 1980s. Mert sent it to me in 1991. In 1999 I saw that Jay had seen the tiny loop on the 4th figure in 186x and put it in the LOG as 1869. In 1951 Jay did not know about the marital crisis of 1867. When I looked at this again in 1999 I saw it was Lizzie's way of making a 7, not a 9, and saw the importance of the May date. Lizzie was resolving not to take anyone's advice to make a break with Melville. She was inspired by one of Bellow's sermons more than by any direct personal advice. So this fragment which was not understandable in 1869 becomes imporant when correctly dated.

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