I am always extremely amused by Marathe and Steeply's interactions with each other. Here is one in particular that I highlighted.
Marathe: "As, if you will give the permission, does this love you speak of, M. Tine's grand love. It means only the attachment. Tine is attached, fanatically. Our attachments are our temple, what we worship, no? What we give ourselves to, what we invest faith in."
Steeply: "Herrrrrrrrre we go."
Marathe: "Are we not all of us fanatics? I say only what you of the U.S.A. only pretend you do not know. Attachments are of great seriousness. Choose your attachments carefully. Choose your temple of fanaticism with great care. What you wish to sing of as trafic love is an attachment not carefully chosen. Die for one person? This is craziness. Person's change, leave, die, become ill. They leave, lie, go mad, have sickness, betray you, die. Your nation outlives you. A cause outlives you..."
Steeply: "Ohh... Canada..."
Marathe: "Make amusement all you wish. But choose with care. You are what you love. No?" -pg. 107 Very good quote to note, Tori. Nice job with this blog entry.
During this conversation Marathe is referencing relationships with women as an example of attachment, but I think DFW definitely meant this for all the attachments and addictions in the novel, including sex and drugs.
I think Marathe teaches a great lesson here that I wish the rest of the characters in the book could have heard too. Maybe DFW's point is that we all need to be "Terrorized" into understanding Marathe and Steeply's insights.
