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I like Matt Roth's idea, and I agree that the connections may
be more direct than he presented. For instance, "stiff" could
just as well refer (unbeknownst to Shade, and with grim
slanginess) to Hazel as to the Vane sisters. And contrary to
what I said to Matt off the list, I'd take "come here" not just
as getting Shade's attention, but as inviting her to join him.
If Hazel is also the red admiral, then her actions are
ambiguous; Brian Boyd interprets them as distraction intended
to save him, but I think they could also be a welcome. For
those who like sinister Shade-family dynamics, Hazel could
want to get her father away from her mother; for others, she
could be happy he'll join her where he can talk with Aristotle
and see the whole master plan.
As Joseph Aisenberg's fellow dweller in the southwestern U.S.,
I'm glad to say I've been seeing a lot more mockingbirds this
summer, but I've never seen one as close as Brian Boyd has.
I associated "gauzy" with the floppy tail or with the white
wing and tail patches that Joseph mentions, which I think are
translucent when backlit.
I find it appealingly symmetrical that Shade
calls Sybil a Vanessa and Hazel appears to him as a
/Vanessa/; Shade calls Sybil a mockingbird and Hazel appears
to him as a mockingbird. Jansy Mello reminded us of points
where Hazel after her death is associated with a bird and
with a butterfly. I wouldn't dismiss the idea that the
cardinal and the cabbage butterflies are also Hazel signalling
to her father, but faintly--it's hard. (When Aunt Maud tries
to communicate with Hazel, she does it by flying.)
On the other hand, I disagree with Jansy about the
possibility that Hazel could be a beautiful bird or
butterfly. When Hazel died, the ugly cygnet
became a gauzy mockingbird, the caterpillar became a
red admiral--or, to descend further into cliche, her
beautiful psyche was released from her body.
Jerry Friedman