The Development of Lisa's Political Rebellion -- Part 14

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13

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As Lisa Houseman read the novel The Fountainhead that her boyfriend Robbie Gould had lent to her, she shifted her focus from the character Howard Roark to the character Dominique Francon. When Lisa began to read the novel, she was fascinated mostly by Howard, an architect who strove to develop Modern architecture.

As she read the novel's Part I, however, she became fascinated more by Dominique, a wealthy young woman whose father owned an architecture business. Dominique wrote an interior-decorating column for a New York City newspaper. Dominique was glamorous and intelligent, but she apparently suffered from a psychological disorder that prevented normal relationships with other people. She argued with her father, with her newspaper editor and with prospective boyfriends. She told one prospective boyfriend that she never had felt any sexual desire. She seemed to have no female friends.

Dominique told her newspaper editor that she had stolen an ancient statue of a nude male from a Greek museum and then had thrown it down a shaft to smash it to smithereens. She explained to her editor that she had loved the statue but had stolen and destroyed it in order to prevent anyone else from ever seeing it again.

The context of this conversation was that the editor was mad at her about a series of articles that he had assigned her to write for their newspaper. He had wanted the series to expose some Manhattan landlords for abusing and exploiting their apartment tenenats. Instead of exposing the landlords, however, Dominique's articles had exposed the tenants themselves as messy, immoral and irresponsible. The editor was so angry that he decided to not publish any of the articles that Dominique had written. In their subsequent conversation about his decision, she told him about stealing and smashing the museum's ancient statue of a nude male. Essentially, Dominique gave her editor one more reason to fire her from her newspaper job. (He did not fire her.)

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Reading such a long, complicated, philosphical, psychological novel was a new experience for Lisa. Outside of her school assignments, she read only articles and short stories that were published in popular magazines, like The Saturday Evening Post. Lisa was plowing through The Fountainhead now only because it had been recommended and lent to her by Robbie Gould, her new boyfriend. Lisa valued the book as a romantic token. She made a show of carrying the book around and reading it, and she was proud to tell people that the book had been given to her by her boyfriend, who was an intellectual medical student.

As Lisa read the novel -- and the many annotations that Robbie had handwritten in the page margins -- she thought about how she would discuss the novel with Robbie. She wanted to impress him that she would and could share his intellecual interests. She wanted to discuss the novel intelligently, profoundly, with him.

Lisa recognized that Robbie intended Lisa to identify him with Howard Roark and to identify herself with Dominique Francon. Lisa was happy to imagine that she herself, like Dominique, was intelligent and glamorous -- and was a witty, sophisticated connoisseur of art.

However, Lisa could not identify herself with Dominque's personality disorder. Lisa got along normally with her family and her many friends. Lisa intended to follow in her mother's footsteps. Lisa would marry a handsome, intelligent, successful man -- preferably a doctor -- and would support her husband, create a beautiful home and raise their children. Later, after the children had grown up, Lisa would begin her own professional career, preferably in the arts. Lisa was content with her own relationships, with her own social status and with her own intended future. Lisa felt normal sexual desire and looked forward to a playful, pleasureful, life-long sexual relationship with her future husband.

As Lisa read the novel, she pondered Dominique's personality disorder. This was the novel's aspect that Lisa intended to discuss with Robbie. She intended to assure Robbie that she herself would not be a troublesome wife -- as Dominique surely would be. In particular, Lisa would be enthusiastically sexual with Robbie. More generally, Lisa as a wife would support and promote Robbie. Lisa would do as her own mother had done in supporting her husband. Lisa knew how to be a doctor's wife. Lisa knew how to socialize and play golf with other doctors' wives and how to host parties in an impressively beautiful home and how to display her sincere admiration for her wonderful doctor husband. In that regard, Robbie should not worry that Lisa might turn out to be like unreliable, self-destructive, pernicious Dominique.

In that regard, Lisa resembled more the novel's character Katie Halsey, a young woman who was subordinate, supporting and self-sacrificing in relation to the man she loved (Peter Keating). Lisa saw in Robbie's annotations, though, that Katie should be viewed as a contemptible character. Lisa foresaw that she herself would have to discuss with Robbie intelligently this contrast between Dominique and Katie -- and would have to distinguish herself from both from Dominique and from Katie. Lisa wanted Robbie to perceive herself as a happy medium between Dominique and Katie. Lisa was well-adjusted.

As Lisa thought about Dominique, she decided that Dominique was much too cynical. Dominique had grown up as the pampered daughter of a wealthy businessman. In her environment, Dominique perceived that successful people -- her father was just one example -- were morally pretentious. Such businessmen pretended to act for the common good, but actually were deceiving the public for their own personal benefit. For example, Dominique perceived that her assigned newspaper series, which was supposed to expose abusive landlords, actually was supposed to depress the real-estate values in those neighborhoods so that her newspaper's owners could buy that neighborhood's apartment buildings more cheaply. Dominique recognized that secret purpose because she had grown up among deceitful, self-serving manipulators of public opinion.

Since Dominique recognized and wanted to sabotage this deceitful purpose, she wrote her articles with a slant that blamed the tenants problems largely on the tenants themselves. Her newspaper's editor recognized Dominique's sabotage of her assignment and refused to publish her articles. Dominique perceived this entire situation with utmost cynicism.

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A major reason why Lisa was reading the novel so thoughtfully was to ponder her own incipient sexual relationship with Robbie Gould. Lisa did want to be sexual with Robbie, but in accordance with the going-steady rules that were supposed to govern such situations. Robbie was much too aggressive and critical. When he was supposed to be satisfied with reaching "second base" (petting above the waist), he already was demanding "third base" (petting below the waist). Robbie did understand those going-steady rules -- as all teenagers in 1963 understood them -- but he violated them anyway. 

On the day after their golf-course incident, Lisa and Robbie discussed the incident. Robbie apologized, explaining that Lisa's physical beauty caused him to lose his self-control. Their subsequent conversation led to Robbie's recommending and lending to Lisa the novel that she now was reading.

In this situation, as Lisa finished reading the novel's Part I (on page 201), she wondered what Robbie intended her to understand about her own relationship with Robbie.

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Continued in Part 15

The Development of Lisa's Political Rebellion -- Part 13

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12
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On Saturday, August 24, 1963, Robbie Gould recommended to Baby Houseman that she read the novel The Fountainhead. Baby rejected the book, so he gave it to Lisa Houseman later on that same day. Lisa began to read the novel that night.

Four days later, on Thursday, August 29, Lisa got mad at Baby because Baby asked Lisa to lie to their parents. The following scene was not included in the movie but is a part of the story.

This scene is a key moment in Lisa's political rebellion. By this point, Lisa had been reading The Fountainhead for four days, and so she has become cynical about goody-goody "idealists" like Baby.

The dialogue begins at 0:13 of the above video:

Baby Houseman
Listen, you just got to do something for me.

Lisa Houseman
I don't just got to do anything.

Baby Houseman
Just tell Mommy and Daddy I have a terrible headache, and I'm in bed. And "check on me" once.

Lisa Houseman
No.

Baby Houseman
Lisa, I don't have time. Do it for me. Okay?

Lisa Houseman
No. Actually, I will speak to Mommy and Daddy. They should know you've been coming and going at all hours. And there's something fishy about it. In fact, I 'm going to tell them right now.

Baby Houseman
Lisa, remember that weekend. You were supposed to stay with me when they went to Rita's wedding in Washington.

Lisa Houseman
So?

Baby Houseman

So, I'll tell them you left me all alone and instead went [unintelligible] Bay.

Lisa Houseman
But I didn't. I stayed with you.

Baby Houseman
I know. They won't believe you. I never lie.

Lisa's growing cynicism about Baby's idealism is elaborated in another scene, which takes place on the following morning, Saturday, August 31. This scene is not included in the movie but is part of the story.

The dialogue:

Baby Houseman
I wouldn't have really lied. Lisa, you know I wouldn't have really lied about your [unintelligible]

Lisa Houseman
You know, I used to admire you, Baby. I used to think:
Baby's weird. Her hair sticks out. She walks funny. She' better than me.

Before Lisa began reading The Fountainhead, she had considered Baby to be weird but had admired her apparent intelligence and idealism. Now, however, Lisa considers Baby to be a lying, sneaky manipulator.

In the first video above, Baby indeed was behaving as a lying, sneaky manipulator. However, Lisa now perceives Baby with a larger perspective. Lisa now perceives Baby as just one example of the many contemptible characters who populate society -- and populate novel The Fountainhead.

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The Art and Popular Culture website describes contemporary cynicism as follows:

Cynicism is an attitude or state of mind characterized by a general distrust of others' apparent motives or ambitions ... therefore deserving of ridicule or admonishment. It is a form of jaded negativity, and other times, realistic criticism or skepticism. ....

Modern cynicism has been defined as an attitude of distrust toward claimed ethical and social values and a rejection of the need to be socially involved. It is pessimistic in regards to the capacity of human beings to make the correct ethical choice ...

Modern cynicism is sometimes regarded as a product of mass society, especially in those circumstances where the individual believes there is a conflict between society's stated motives and goals and actual motives and goals. ...

In his bestselling Critique of Cynical Reason, Peter Sloterdijk defined modern cynics as "borderline melancholics, who can keep their symptoms of depression under control" .... One active aspect of cynicism is the desire to expose hypocrisy and to point out the gulf between society's ideals and its practices.

Social cynicism results from excessively high expectations concerning society, institutions and authorities: unfulfilled expectations lead to disappointment, which releases feelings of disillusionment and betrayal.

Reading The Fountainhead was forming a cynical attitude in Lisa. especially toward people who present themselves as idealistic reformers of society.

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The novel takes place mostly in the milieu of the architecture business in the 1920s. The novel depicts various situations in which influential people in the architecture business suppressed the development of modern architecture. These people praised classical architecture's merits, but their hostility toward modern architecture was motivated also by greed, vanity, complacency, careerism, jealousy and other personal motivations.

I figure that during Lisa's first four days of reading the novel, she reached Part 1, Chapter 12, which begins at page 138 in my own paperback edition. In this chapter, Alvah Scarret, the editor-in-chief of New York City's The Banner newspaper assigns Dominique Francon to write a series of articles depicting deplorable living conditions in several blocks of Manhattan. Alvah is organizing a three-week journalistic campaign, titled "Landlord Sharks", to embarrass and shame the owners of the buildings in those blocks.

The campaign's real purpose is not, however, to compel the building owners to improve the living conditions. Rather, the real purpose is to compel the owners to sell the buildings at a lower price to the newspaper owners' business confederates. The newspaper's leadership does not really care about the living conditions; rather it wants to lower the buildings' sale prices temporarily.

Dominique lives in an apartment in that neighborhood for a couple of weeks and then writes articles that depict the situation there frankly. Her articles blame the buildings' squalor partially on the powerful, greedy landlords and also partially on the coarse, messy residents. Her honest impartiality angers Alvah, who tells here that she has spoiled her own journalistic career prospects by downplaying her criticism of the landlords.

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For Lisa, this early chapter of the novel is enlightening. During her own life, Lisa has been exposed only rarely to criticism of poor people for causing their own squalor. Lisa's parents and sister never have demeaned poor people. When Lisa's mother has described her pwm impoverished youth during the Depression, she has described the poor as hapless victims of an economic catastrophe.

Lisa is amused that Dominique -- who has grown up rich and who now lives in a penthouse -- lived in that poor neighborhood for only two weeks and then casually wrote newspaper articles describing her neighbors there as drunken, gambling slobs who gave birth to far more children than they could raise and support.

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For sure, Baby sees Lisa reading The Fountainhead and is infuriated. Baby's fury increases Lisa's enjoyment of the novel. While reading the novel, Lisa thinks of Baby and compares her occasionally to some of the novel's hypocritical villains. For example, when Lisa reads about the editor Alvah Scarret's self-serving campaign against the landlords, Lisa wonders whether Baby's idealism likewise is self-serving.

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Lisa indeed thinks there was something "fishy" about Baby's behavior at Kellerman's. Lisa wonders why Baby was "coming and going at all hours".

Robbie has told Lisa that Baby asked him to donate money to Penny, because Penny is pregnant. Robbie explains further that Penny was so promiscuous that she does not know which man has made her pregnant. Lisa speculates that Baby's boyfriend Neil Kellerman has manipulated Baby into feeling sorry and collecting donations for Penny. Lisa thinks Baby is a naive fool if she does not recognize that Neil himself might have impregnated Penny and therefore wants to buy Penny's silence.

Lisa wonders why Baby is hanging around with Neil "at all hours". Maybe Baby suddenly has become attracted to Neil's money. Maybe Neil has hinted that he might give her a car to use at Holyoke College.

Neil talks about driving with a couple of Negro kitchen workers to the South at the end of the summer. Does Baby think about traveling along with Neil and those two Negroes for a couple of weeks? Classes at Holyoke will not begin until late September.

Is Baby sexually attracted to a Negro, and is Baby manipulating Neil into providing her an opportunity to become intimate with a Negro man during that trip?

Yikes! Baby acts like a goody-goody idealist, but she is doing something fishy. Lisa, now a cynic, recognizes that her sister Baby is a lying, sneaky manipulator and that Neil might be Baby's exploitable victim.

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This series will be continued in Part 14.

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The Development of Lisa's Political Rebellion -- Part 12

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11
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As Lisa Houseman continues to read The Fountainhead, her initial infatuation with the character Dominique Francon is shaken. Lisa comes to recognize that fortunate, glamorous Dominique is disturbed and obnoxious.

Peter Keating is encouraged by his own mother and by Dominique's father to court Dominique. Although Peter admires Dominique's beauty and glamour, he foresees that his marriage to Dominique would be miserable. Peter decides that he should marry Katie Halsey after all.

Lisa agrees with Peter's critical judgment about Dominique. Lisa agrees that he should marry Katie.

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Lisa tries, however, to understand Dominique -- to analyze Dominique's personality disorder.

In the novel, there is a part where Dominique is assigned by her newspaper, The Banner, to write a series of articles about a slummy neighborhood of New York City. To collect information, Dominique lives in an apartment there for two weeks. The newspaper expects her to write an article condemning the landlords, and she does collect much critical information about them. However, she also collects much critical information about the neighborhood's residents. In a public speech summarizing her intended series of articles, she says:

The family on the first floor rear do not bother to pay their rent, and the children cannot go to school for lack of clothes. The father has a charge account at a local speak-easy. He is in good health and has a good job.

The couple on the second floor have just purchased a radio for $69.95 cash

In the fourth floor front, the father of the family has not done a whole day's work in his life, and does not intend to. There are nine children, supported by the local parish. There is a tenth one on its way.

By criticizing poor people publicly, Dominique sabotages her career at the newspaper, which had intended to promote her to manage a department that would report about "women's welfare". The newspaper cancels the publication of her articles about the slummy neighborhood. Dominique is not bothered by the cancellation or about her ruined career prospects.

To explain her nonchalance, Dominique declares that her only desire is to exercise freedom. In particular, she wants to be able to say whatever she thinks. She wants "to ask nothing, to expect nothing, to depend on nothing"-- so that she always can spout her own, actual opinions.

Furthermore, her major opinion is that mankind is despicable.

There's nothing but housewives haggling at pushcarts, drooling brats who write dirty words on the sidewalks, and drunken debutantes. ....

Have you ever looked at them [people] when they are enjoying themselves? That's when you see the truth. Look at those who spend the money they've slaved for -- at amusement parks and side shows.

Look at those who are rich and have the whole world open to them. Look at what they pick out for enjoyment. Watch them in the smarter speak-easies.

That's your mankind in general. I don't want to touch it.

Dominique is contemptuous of everybody and of everything. She tells how she stole a beautiful statue of a naked man out of a European museum and brought it to her apartment in a New York skyscraper. There she threw it down an air shaft in order to break it into smithereens. She destroyed the beautiful statue "so that no one else would ever see it."

Dominique's father is dismayed when he learns that she is sabotaging her own journalist career -- and more generally, her entire life.

He asked himself whether he actually hated his daughter. ....

In an awkward, unthinking way, he wanted to help her, not knowing, not wanting to know what she had to be helped against.

Dominique's father hopes that Peter, the architecture company's intelligent, capable, rising star might be able to charm her. Peter does court her for a while, but recognizes that he never will be able to fix her attitude.

Furthermore, Dominique tells Peter that she is sexually frigid. She never has experienced any physical sexual activity and does not think she ever would enjoy doing so. That conversation ends his courtship of her.

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Lisa appreciates Dominique's desire to be free to speak her own mind. However, she recognizes also that Dominique is self-destructive and anti-social. Dominique's freely expressed opinions are not doing any good for herself or for anybody else. Dominique's social criticisms are not constructive.

Dominique could not enjoy anything in her life.

Lisa wonders what she herself is supposed to think about this character Dominique. Is Dominique supposed to be a role model -- a good example of an "individualist"?

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Continued in Part 13

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The Development of Lisa's Political Rebellion -- Part 11

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10
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As 19-year-old Lisa continues to read The Fountainhead, she identifies with the 19-year-old character Dominique Francon. When the character Peter Keating sees Dominique for the first time, he is amazed by her beauty.

Her slender body seemed out of all scale in relation to a normal human body; its lines were so long, so fragile, so exaggerated that she looked like a stylized drawing of a woman and made the correct proportions of a normal being appear heavy and awkward beside her.

She wore a plain gray suit: the contrast between its tailored severity and her appearance was deliberately exorbitant -- and strangely elegant.

She let the fingertips of one hand rest on the railing, a narrow hand ending the straight imperious line of her arm.

She had gray eyes that were not ovals, but two long, rectangular cuts edged by parallel lines of lashes; she had an air of cold serenity and an exquisitely vicious mouth. Her face, her pale gold hair, her suit seemed to have no color, but only a hint, just on the verge of the reality of color, making a full reality seem vulgar.

A gray, tailored suit! Just a hint of color in her appearance! These beauty concepts were new and thought-provoking for Lisa.

On this first occasion when Peter sees Dominique, he does not know who she is. He sees her in the office building of the Francon and Heyer architecture firm. Afterwards, someone tells Peter that the young woman is the daughter of the firm's co-owner, Guy Francon.

Dominique has been summoned to her father's office. There he reprimands her for her recent article, published in her interior-decorating column in the New York Banner newspaper. Dominique's article has publicly mocked the elaborate decorations of the home of Mr. and Mrs. Dale Ainsworth, where Dominique recently had attended a party. Dominique's article included the following passages:

You enter a magnificent lobby of golden marble and you think that this is the City Hall or the Main Post Office, but it isn't. It has, however, everything: the mezzanine with the colonnade and the stairway with the goitre and the cartouches in the form of looped leather belts. Only it's not leather, it's marble.

The dining room has a splendid bronze gate, placed by mistake on the ceiling, in the shape of a trellis entwined with fresh bronze grapes. There are dead ducks and rabbits hanging on the wall panels, in bouquets of carrots, petunias and string beans. I do not think these would have been very attractive if real, but since they are bad plaster imitations, it is all right. ...

The bedroom windows face a brick wall, not a very neat wall, but nobody needs to see the bedrooms. ...

The front windows are large enough and admit plenty of light, as well as the feet of the marble cupids that roost on the outside. The cupids are well fed and present a pretty picture to the street, against the severe granite of the façade; they are quite commendable, unless you just can't stand to look at dimpled soles every time you glance out to see the whether it's raining. If you get tired of it, you can always look out the central windows of the third floor, and into the cast-iron rump of Mercury who sits on top of the pediment over the entrance. It's a very beautiful entrance.

Guy Francon is furious at Dominique, because the Ainsworth home was designed by the Francon and Heyer architecture firm. Peter, who was the home's chief designer, stands outside the office door and listens as the father reprimands the daughter loudly:

... to expect such an outrage! From my own daughter! I'm used to anything from you, but this beats it all. What am I going to do? How am I going to explain? Do you have any kind of a vague idea of my position?

Peter hears Dominique laugh out loud at her father's reprimand.

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Dominique's defiance of her respected, accomplished, powerful father amazes Lisa, who would have broken down, weeping, under such a reprimand from her own father.

Lisa envies Dominique for writing her home-decorating column so hilariously, so brilliantly.

From the novel's descriptions, Lisa tries to develop a mental image of Dominique's appearance, style and bearing.

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On a later day, Peter approaches Dominique at a party. By now, she has learned that he had designed the Ainsworth home that her article had mocked. She treats him somewhat contemptuously.

Peter's mother had suggested that he court Dominique, his boss's daughter. However, Peter is afraid that he could not control her. Peter feels that he would enjoy a much more convivial relationship with his long-time girlfriend -- now practically his fiancée -- Katie Halsey.

After the party, Guy Francon drives Peter Keating home. Guy confesses that he cannot control his daughter. Guy too fears Dominique's contempt and mockery,. Guy encourages Peter to try to court Dominique:

.... I don't regret you're meeting her now. ... I think you're the one man who could handle her.

You're quite determined -- aren't you, Peter? -- when you're after something.

Peter imagines that marrying this beautiful young woman, Dominique, might enable him eventually to inherit ownership of the architecture firm.

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Reading such a complicated, thought-provoking, magnificent novel makes Lisa feel much more adult.

Lisa appreciates Robbie Gould's annotations. On several pages, he has underlined Dominique's name and written the word Individualist or Individualism in the margin. Lisa figures out that Katie symbolizes altruism, whereas Dominique symbolizes individualism.

Lisa wants to impress Robbie with her ability to discuss the novel with him in a philosophical manner. Lisa thinks about how she should mention these words, concepts, contrasts and symbolisms in her conversations with him about the novel.

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Continued in Part 12

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The Development of Lisa's Political Rebellion -- Part 10

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9

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Lisa Houseman begins to read The Fountainhead. The novel, first published in 1943, begins in the year 1922. The Stanton Institute of Technology, near Boston, is celebrating its graduation day.

One of the graduating students is Peter Keating, who has majored in architecture. He has two career options:

1) to accept a scholarship to study at the prestigious Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris

2) to accept a position in the successful architecture company Francon and Heyer in New York City.

Peter asks his friend and classmate, Howard Roark, which option to select. Peter respects Howard as being a more talented architect. Howard says Peter must make up his own mind. Peter's mother intervenes, saying that Paris is too far away from her. Therefore, Peter decides to accept the New York job.

Although Howard has completed all his studies at the Stanton Institute of Technology, he has been expelled right before the graduation ceremony. Howard has offended the faculty by rejecting their teaching of classical architectural design. Howard insists instead on modern design.

As the novel develops, Peter's successful career is contrasted with Howard's struggling career. Peter swiftly occupies higher and higher positions at Francon and Heyer, because he goes along with classical design and also because he deceives and manipulates other employees. Meanwhile, Howard is stuck in an architecture company that is going bankrupt. Peter and Howard stay friends and stay in touch, and Peter occasionally helps Howard by offering some money and work.

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Although Peter easily attracts women and has enjoyed sexual relations with many of them, he has fallen in love only with a young woman named Catherine "Katie" Halsey. Peter and Katie became acquainted while he was studying at Stanton, and they have spent much time talking with each other. They have kissed, but sexually have done nothing more.

While Peter still was studying at Stanton, Katie moved to New York to live with her uncle. Peter has kept in touch with Katie, but he does not visit her in New York until he has worked at Francon and Heyer for a couple years. After his first visit, he visits her only occasionally.

Peter's mother moves from Stanton to New York City and lives with him in his apartment. His mother always has disapproved of his relationship with Katie. His mother advises him to find and marry a woman who is more sophisticated and high-class.

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As Lisa reads the novel, she understands that Howard Roark is the idealistic, inspiring hero and that Peter Keating is a scoundrel foil. Howard struggles to promote modern design, which Lisa herself loves. In contrast, Peter advances his own career by promoting classical design, which Lisa detests.

However, Lisa likes many features of Peter's romantic relationship with Katie. Their relationship is mutually respectful. Katie is extraordinarily patient and adoring toward Peter. Although Peter deceives and manipulates other people at work, he relaxes sincerely with Katie. He does not pressure her for sex, and she does not pressure him for marriage. However, they both seem to be advancing naturally toward an engagement and marriage with each other.

As Lisa reads the novel, she perceives Robbie Gould's disapproval of the Peter-Katie relationship. Robbie repeatedly has underlined the name Katie in the text and has written the words altruistic or altruism in the margins. In Lisa's conversations his Robbie, she has understood that Robbie disapproves of altruism. Indeed, Robbie says he loves the novel because its ending convincingly criticizes altruism.

Still reading the novel's Part 1 -- titled "Peter Keating", the first 201 pages -- Lisa still has not comprehended the anti-altruism lesson that the novel is supposed to teach. Katie's altruism seems to be winning Peter's love. If they do marry, then Katie's kindness surely will exert a life-long good influence on Peter.

Although this part of the novel takes place in 1922-1923, Peter and Katie seem to be following effective social conventions that are similar to the going-steady rules that Lisa wants Robbie and herself to follow now in 1963. Lisa hopes that the novel's characters Peter and Katie will marry.

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Soon, however, Lisa changes her mind, hoping now that Peter will marry another woman. Into the novel comes a new character, Dominique Francon, the daughter of Guy Francon, the co-owner of the Francon and Heyer architecture company.

Like Katie, Dominique is about 20 years old, but Dominique has attended college, majoring in art. (Katie has not attended college.) Now Dominique has graduated and has been hired by The New York Banner newspaper to write a column about home decorating.

Lisa identifies herself strongly with this character Dominique. Lisa herself would love to get hired to write such a newspaper column after she graduates from college. Identifying thus with the character Dominique, Lisa now hopes that the successful architect Peter Keating will fall in love and marry with Dominique Francon. Lisa's hope is encouraged as she reads that Peter's mother advises him to court Dominique. After all, Dominique is the daughter of the architecture company's co-owner, and his marriage with her would help him to take over the company eventually.

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Lisa is captivated by this novel. She is interested in the novel's depiction of the architecture business, and she is intrigued also by Peter's apparent dilemma in choosing either Katie or Dominique to become his romantic partner and then his wife.

Because Lisa perceives that Robbie disapproves of Katie for being altruistic, Lisa foresees that Dominique will be portrayed as being an anti-altruistic foil in the novel. Katie will symbolize altruism, and Dominique will symbolize anti-altruism. Peter will have to chose between those two qualities, and this suspense captivates Lisa as she continues to read the novel.

However, Lisa wonders what "anti-altruism" is. Lisa understands that the opposite of altruism is selfishness. Will Dominique be portrayed as selfish, and will her winning of Peter's love be a triumph for selfishness?

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This series will be continued in Part 11.

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The Development of Lisa's Political Rebellion -- Part 9

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8

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Lisa Houseman's experience with Robbie Gould is very thought-provoking for her. She feels that he is leading her out of her adolescence and into her adulthood. She suddenly recognizes that life is complicated, messy and callous.

Lisa has romantic dreams for her life. She will meet a man, so steady with him, become engaged with him, marry him and raise his family. She will follow her mother's example.

Now, however, just a few days after Lisa has met the right man, Robbie, she is upset. He is not following the "going steady" rules that she understands from her conversations with her girlfriends. Robbie has been too sexually aggressive. She has looked forward to playful sexual petting with him, but she quickly lost her composure as he man-handled her. She burst into tears and ran away.

Also, Robbie has put her into a situation where she feels compelled to deceive. She is deceiving her parents and asking her little sister to help her deceive her parents. After she ran from the golf course to her hotel room, she thought about her own misbehavior. Her fantasies about her future romantic life had not included herself and her boyfriend deceiving each other and everyone around them.

Lisa suddenly feels that she has to think about life more profoundly and critically.

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On the day after Lisa ran away from Robbie, he comes to her and apologizes. Robbie tells Lisa that Baby is angry about his rude treatment of Lisa. Baby has threatened Robbie that if he will not stay away from Lisa, then Baby will report him to Neil Kellerman.

Robbie apologizes to Lisa. He explains that her beauty caused him to lose control of himself. He wants to continue to date her, and so he will behave himself better. Lisa accepts his apology and says that she likewise wants to continue to date him.

Their conversation moves to other subjects, and eventually he tells her about the novel he read recently -- Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead. When Lisa remarks that the novel sounds very interesting, he offers to lend her his copy, which he has annotated with underlines, exclamation marks and margin comments.

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When Lisa receives Robbie's book, she is delighted. She flips through the pages, observing Robbie's many annotations.

Lisa perceives Robbie's book to be a token of his romantic affection toward her. In the going-steady rules, the first rule is to give one's partner a visible token -- a ring or other jewel, a photograph, a clothing item, lock of hair, love letter, etc. Now Lisa will be able to carry this token -- Robbie's annotated book -- around as evidence of his affection. People will see her reading the book and ask about it, and she will tell them that she got it from Robbie, her boyfriend. Lisa's status of going steady with Robbie will be on public display.

Having Robbie's book -- in her mind, a token of his romantic affection -- reassures Lisa. She feels again that her adolescent fantasies about her future romantic life are coming true. She is going steady publicly with her future husband! If this relationship continues to develop well, then she will display the relationship openly, honestly and proudly to her family, to her friends and to everyone else.

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Lisa is dismayed by the novel's length -- almost 700 pages of small print. Robbie told Lisa that the novel is philosophical. Lisa never has read a long, difficult, philosophical work.

And the author was a Russian-immigrant woman. How strange!

Lisa gazes at the novel's table of contents:

Contents

Part I    Peter Keating, page 15

Part II   Ellsworth M. Toohey, page 202

Part III  Gail Wynard, page 391

Part IV  Howard Roark, page 505

Robbie had told her that the novel was about an architect named Howard Roark. Did the part about Howard Roark begin on page 505? How strange!

Lisa turns to the next page:

I offer my profound gratitude to the great profession of architecture and its heroes who have given us some of the highest expressions of man's genius, yet have remained unknown, undiscovered by the majority of men. And to the architects who gave me their generous assistance in the technical matters of this book.

Lisa looks at the next page -- at the novel's first two sentences:

Howard Roark laughed.

He stood naked at the edge of a cliff.

Lisa thinks to herself that Robbie is opening her mind to new, adult thinking with this book -- with this amazing token of his affection.

Lisa is going to read a philosophical novel about a fun-loving, sexy architect.

Robbie has told her that the novel has changed his own life. She thinks that the novel might change her own life too.

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Continued in Part 10

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The Development of Lisa's Political Rebellion -- Part 8

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7

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Lisa Houseman has been socially conservative. She expects to prosper and to enjoy her life by complying with her society's guidance and conventions. She will create beauty and also will do her fair share to support society's disadvantaged people.

When the Dirty Dancing story begins in August 1963, nineteen-year-old Lisa has attended a women's college for two years. She has been majoring in Art History (or some similar field), but she does not intend to begin a professional career after she finishes her four-year study. Rather, she intends to marry a professional man, a couple years older, soon after she graduates. She will stay at home and raise their children through at least their high-school years. Then maybe she will begin a career in the arts.

Lisa intends to marry someone like Robbie Gould, who already has graduated from college and is beginning to attend medical school. After she marries him, she soon will become pregnant. Their first years of marriage will be difficult, as he completes his internship and then begins his medical practice, while she becomes a helpmate, housewife and mother.

Lisa's husband will prosper as a doctor, thanks significantly to her support. He will not have to spend much time helping to take care of the household and children. She will socialize with his colleagues' families. She will host parties in their home, which she will make beautiful. His career will rise above his basic medical practice -- into medical administration, teaching and leadership.

When Lisa eventually does begin her career in the arts, she will not do so because of the earnings. Rather, she will do so in order to contribute to the community's appreciation of the arts. She might manage a gallery or serve on an arts council.

======

This is how nineteen-year-old Lisa, in 1963, sees her future. She is following her mother's example, which she has observed and absorbed. Lisa knows how a doctor's wife behaves, socializes and supports. She knows that a doctor's wife too eventually will reap various rewards -- happiness, love, security, status, wealth.

Lisa's political thinking fits within her acceptance of the social order. She wants to the government to keep society stable. Society should change and improve, but should do so carefully and deliberately.

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When Lisa meets Robbie at Kellerman's in August 1963, she thinks immediately that he might be "The One". She wants to advance their relationship romantically. Lisa is willing and eager to become gradually more sexual with Robbie, in accordance with the going-steady rules. She foresees that during her three-week vacation at Kellerman's, she and Robbie will advance through sexual "second base".

First base = kissing, including open-mouth (or French) kissing

Second base = petting above the waist, including touching, feeling, and fondling the chest, breasts, and nipples

Third base = petting or orally stimulating below the waist, including touching, feeling, and fondling the vagina, clitoris, penis, or testicles

Home base = sexual intercourse

They might, in the vacation's last few days, even reach "third base". They would pet each other's clothed crotches, and he would ultimately "dry-hump" her and would orgasm in his pants. Lisa gladly would allow Robbie to do so during the last days of her three-week vacation.

If their relationship continued after the vacation, then Lisa and Robbie would meet occasionally and enjoy "third base" regularly. Soon she would begin to please his naked penis orally.

As their sexual relationship progressed, Lisa and Robbie would become publicly engaged. They would set a wedding date. They would begin to enjoy sexual intercourse with condoms.  

Lisa looks forward to becoming orgasmic. She never has masturbated or experienced orgasm. She foresees that during their time on "third base", he would enjoy many orgasms with her. Lisa would experience a different sexual pleasure -- tingling and arousal -- that would linger hours and even days after her sexual encounters with Robbie.

Lisa would be sincerely satisfied with this sexual progress that she foresees. Sexually, Robbie would be the man, and Lisa would be the woman. They would complement each other. During their life-time marriage, she would experience plenty of sexual pleasure and would feel satisfied, happy and fulfilled.

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Lisa imagines that Robbie too would comply with and enjoy the going-steady rules, which are considered to be fair and effective.

Lisa is dismayed and shocked when Robbie, already on their sixth day together, tries to advance to "third base" when they meet at the golf course at night. Furthermore, Robbie is aggressive, rude and insulting while doing so. Lisa bursts into tears, becomes hysterical, and rushes away from the golf course.

Lisa is far away from her girlfriends and cannot consult with any of them about the situation. Lisa certainly cannot tell her mother explicitly about Robbie's actions, because Lisa feares that her mother would advise her to terminate her relationship with Robbie.

When Lisa calms down during the following day, she decides that she would try to salvage her relationship with Robbie. She recognizes that he was a couple years older and more experienced. She recognizes that she herself should act more mature by discussing the golf-course incident with him frankly.

She assures him she was not a prude. She looks forward to becoming much more sexual with him soon. However, she still is a virgin and so wants to advance more slowly than he apparently wants to advance. She is not a slut. He should treat her respectfully.

Lisa does have such a conversation with Robbie, and it succeeds. Robbie apologizes and promises to be more patient with her. He explains that her beauty caused him to lose control of himself. He asks her to "go steady" with him.

======

After they have discussed their sexual relationship, Lisa changes the subject. She asks him about his non-medical interests. Did he play any musical instruments? Did he play any sports? Did he like to visit art museums? Did he read much?

Robbie tells Lisa about the best book he ever had read -- Ayn Rand's novel The Fountainhead. Immediately, Lisa genuinely feels intrigued, because Robbie tells her the novel is about a talented architect's struggle to design buildings that featured Modern Architecture. Lisa never has imagined that there was a novel about a struggling architect. Lisa tells Robbie about her own passionate interest in Modern Art and Modern Architecture. Robbie tells Lisa that the novel also explains a lot of philosophy.

Lisa tells Robbie that she would love to read that novel. Robbie said that he happens to have the novel in his room and that he will lend it to her. The only problem is that he had annotated the novel heavily -- underlining words, marking paragraphs and writing notes in the margins. Lisa is delighted; she wants to look at Robbie's annotations!

Soon after that conversation, Robbie brings the book to Lisa. She is dismayed by the book's size. She never has read such a long book. However, she is eager to read all of it and to discuss it with Robbie.

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Continued in Part 9

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The Development of Lisa's Political Rebellion -- Part 7

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6

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When Lisa Houseman was 15 years old in October 1959, she and her mother Marjorie visited the new Guggenheim Museum while shopping together in Manhattan. This visit sparked in Lisa a fascination with Modern architecture, design and art.

Lisa admired artists for their special personal qualities -- creativity, independence and entrepreneurship.

As a high-school girl, however, she naturally felt attracted to the guys who were handsome, tall and athletic. A few of her male classmates were somewhat artistic, and she wanted to be friends with them, but they lacked the physical attributes to attract her romantically.

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In 1963, Lisa's younger sister Baby became angry that Republicans seemed to be favoring the nomination of Barry Goldwater as their party's candidate in the 1964 Presidential election. Goldwater opposed some Civil Rights proposals by arguing that citizens had a Constitutional right to free association. Baby perceived that Goldwater and his Republican supporters were allowing the continuation of racial discrimination.

Baby's anger about the Republicans moved her toward more critical attitudes on other issues. For example, Baby felt that Americans should do much more to alleviate poverty in the Third World. The US Government should send much more aid, and individuals should donate much more to charities.

In her younger years, Baby had been satisfied by collecting money for UNICEF while trick-or-treating.

Now, Baby felt increasingly dissatisfied and critical that her prosperous family seemed to donate little to charity. Her parents responded that the Houseman family donated plenty just by paying their taxes. Furthermore, the family donated to some medical charities, such as the March of Dimes.

Baby pointed out that much of the family's money was being spent extravagantly on new furniture and art. In this regard, Baby complained that many such items seemed to be purchased mainly to please selfish Lisa, who obviously had very expensive tastes.

"Children are starving!", complained Baby. "We don't need all this Modern Art stuff. Instead of buying more, just to please Lisa, we should donate a lot more to UNICEF."

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Continued in Part 8

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The Development of Lisa's Political Rebellion -- Part 6

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

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When Lisa Houseman was 15 years old in October 1959, she and her mother Marjorie visited the new Guggenheim Museum while shopping together in Manhattan. This visit sparked in Lisa a fascination with modern architecture, design and art.

Every teenage girl should have a personal style, and Lisa decided that her own personal style was Modern. She would decorate her own body and her surroundings with her Modern style.

Although she still was a teenager, Lisa felt that her Modern style made her appear more adult. Her style distinguished herself even more from little sister, Baby, who still dressed and acted like a little girl.

Lisa was delighted whenever her Mother agreed with a suggestion to select something Modern when buying some object for their home. For this reason, Lisa loved to go shopping with her Mother.

Lisa decided she would study visual arts in college. Later, after she raised her family, she would use her college degree to get hired into a career where she would employ her artistic taste, talents and education.

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Continued in Part 7

The Development of Lisa's Political Rebellion -- Part 5

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

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When Lisa Houseman was 15 years old in October 1959, she and her mother Marjorie visited the new Guggenheim Museum while shopping together in Manhattan. This visit sparked in Lisa a fascination with modern architecture, design and art. She thought she should study such subjects when she would attend college.

Even while still in high school, Lisa spend much of her free time developing her awareness and appreciation. When she watched television, she watched documentaries about those subjects and she generally paid attention to modern design of objects. .

As Jake Houseman prospered in his medical profession, the family's household budget grew, and Marge was able to replace their home's old furniture with new furniture. Lisa loved to accompany her mother while shopping for new furniture and urged her mother to buy modern-design furniture and also modern art.

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Lisa did not pay much attention to politics, but in 1960 she became fascinated with the Democrats' candidate John Kennedy, who seemed modern, fashion-conscious and glamorous in comparison President Eisenhower. On one shopping trip, Lisa asked her mother why she always favored the Democrats.

Marjorie explained that she had grown up during the Depression, when many people -- including her own close relatives -- could not jobs. In those circumstances, the Democrats had established many government programs to provide support to the unemployed and to create jobs. In general, the Democrats helped disadvantaged people, whereas the Republicans demanded that such people "pull themselves up by their bootstraps".

Lisa reflexively adopted her mother's political thinking. Lisa too thought that the government should generously support disadvantaged people, who often could not help themselves.

Lisa, however, was growing up in a booming economy, which was very different from the Depression economy in which her mother had grown up. During Marjorie's teenage years, the unemployment rate was above 15%, whereas during Lisa's teenage years the unemployment rate was around 5% -- a rate that economists call "full employment".

US Unemployment Rate
(Click on image to enlarge it)

Lisa did not know anybody who was unemployed. All her uncles, all the men in her family's social circle, and all her classmates' fathers were prospering in professional occupations and enjoyed excellent job security. All her friends received generous allowances. Some of her friends also worked in summer jobs to earn some extra spending money. It was easy for a teenager to get a summer job.

Lisa agreed with her mother that the government should provide support to the disadvantaged -- for example, to people who were unemployed. That was a reason why Lisa hoped that John Kennedy and his Democrats would win the 1960 election. However, Lisa also had an impression that anyone who wanted a job could get a job in a rather short time.

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Continued in Part 6

The Development of Lisa's Political Rebellion -- Part 4

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

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Lisa Houseman was born in 1944 and grew up in the Brooklyn Borough of New York City. Lisa loved to go on shopping trips with her mother, especially to Manhattan.

In October 1959, when Lisa was 15 years old, the Guggenheim Museum opened on Fifth Avenue, the best shopping street in Manhattan. For sure, Lisa and her mother visited the museum soon after it opened.

Lisa was delighted by the museum, the architecture and art of which are classified as Postwar Modernism. The museum was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, the USA's most famous modernist architect.

Lisa's visit to the Guggenheim Museum when she was 15 years old gave her a young appreciation for "decorating the world". As she continued through high school and thought about her future college studies, she decided that she wanted to study art. She wanted to understand design, art and architecture intellectually.

Lisa's mother wanted Lisa to attend a women's college. As Lisa thought about which women's college she preferred to attend, she paid special attention to the art programs offered by the various women's colleges.

Lisa thought that majoring in art was quite feminine, which pleased her. Lisa foresaw that after she raised her children, she might begin a professional career in the arts.

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Continued in Part 5

The Development of Lisa's Political Rebellion -- Part 3

Part 1, Part 2

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Lisa Houseman changed her political opinions because she fell in love with Robbie Gould. Lisa abandoned her mother's liberal opinions and adopted Robbie's libertarian opinions. Lisa abandoned her mother's belief that our government should be empowered to raise taxes in order to pay for generous support programs for disadvantaged people. Instead, Lisa adopted Robbie's belief that our government should minimize meddling in the economy so that innovative entrepreneurs could develop the entire society's prosperity.

This is the political rebellion of Lisa that I am discussing in this series of articles.

I know that Lisa adopted Robbie's political opinions because:

1) She read his favorite political book The Fountainhead.

2) Because she read the book, she fell in love with him and adopted his politics.

3) Therefore she decided that he was "Mr. Right" -- her future husband.

4) Therefore she decided "to go all the way" with him sexually.

Lisa's decision "to go all the way" was the proof that she read Robbie's book, fell in love with him, adopted his politics and decided that he was "Mr. Right". The entire sequence of events -- in particular, her political change -- can be deduced from her ultimate decision "to go all the way".

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However, Lisa's political rebellion was brief. Soon, Lisa found Robbie in bed with Vivian Pressman and realized that he was not Mr. Right after all. She fell out of love with him and abandoned the libertarianism that she had just begun to appreciate.

Baby never realized that her sister Lisa briefly fell in love with Robbie and his politics. Although Lisa confided in Baby that she had decided "to go all the way" with Robbie, Baby misinterpreted Lisa's confession. Baby responded:

No, no, not with someone like him. ....

It's just wrong this way. It should be with someone -- with someone that you sort of love.

But Lisa did love Robbie!

Baby thought mistakenly that Lisa decided "to go all the way" merely because Lisa was sexually aroused so chronically that she wanted to have sex with any attractive man -- even with a "creep" like Robbie.

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In the July 1986 script, in the first scene, Lisa declares her sexual desires. The circumstances are that the Housemans are riding in their car. Jake is driving, Marjorie is reading a teenage-girl magazine, Baby is reading an economics textbook, and Lisa is primping her hair and makeup. Lisa also is doing dance moves in time to the the car's radio music. Lisa grabs Baby's hand to join in Lisa's dance moves, but Baby yanks her hand away.

Lisa whispers to Baby -- their parent are not supposed to hear -- that during the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962, Lisa had feared that a nuclear war might begin and so she might die without ever experiencing sexual intercourse. This fear had struck Lisa while she was shopping with her mother and while Baby and Jake were at home watching the news on television.

Lisa's remark about desiring sexual intercourse disgusts Baby. In response, Baby leans forward from the car's back seat and puts her arms affectionately around her father's neck.

Marjorie, sitting in the front passenger seat, remarks:

Maybe this is the right place our Lisa will find Mr. Right.

We do not know whether Marjorie overheard Lisa's remark about desiring sexual intercourse.

(Click on the below images to enlarge them.)

Script Page 2

Script Page 3

Marjorie does understand that 19-year-old Lisa has been looking for Mr. Right -- is looking for a husband.

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In 1963, the median age of first marriage for American women was 20½ years old. Since the average engagement period is a year or so, 19-year-old Lisa was near the median engagement age but apparently did not even have a steady boyfriend.

Baby's perception about Lisa's situation was cynical. Baby perceived that Lisa's primary desire was to experience sexual intercourse and that finding a wonderful husband was secondary. That is why Baby's response to Lisa's sexual remark was to embrace her father, who was Baby's model for a wonderful husband.

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Baby mocks her mother for reading a teenage-girl magazine when she could be reading instead Madame Bovary. A moment after making this suggestion, Baby embraces her doctor father as her model of a wonderful husband.

That novel"s title character is a woman who marries a medical doctor and becomes bored and sexually unsatisfied with him. Therefore she gets into an extra-marital affair with another man. After four years of this affair, she wants to run away with her lover, who responds by dumping her.

After a while, this doctor's wife begins another sexual affair, with another man. When he obviously becomes bored with her, she buys herself lots of personal luxuries, thus accumulating huge debts for her doctor husband.

Eventually, Madame Bovary commits suicide. Afterwards, her doctor husband discovers her written correspondence with her two lovers. The doctor husband dies of a broken heart. The daughter of the doctor husband and his wife becomes an impoverished orphan, working in a cotton mill.

Obviously, Baby does not know anything about the novel Madame Bovary beyond its notoriety. Baby's suggestion that her mother, a doctor's wife, read Madame Bovary is inappropriate and stupid.

Fortunately, this dialogue was not included in the 1987 movie.

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 The movie does mention another recommended novel -- The Fountainhead, written by Ayn Rand. In this case, the recommendation was addressed by Robbie Gould to Baby Houseman. She refused to even consider his recommendation to read the novel.

Robbie then recommended the novel to Lisa, who did read it. The novel significantly changed Lisa's political opinions and also motivated her "to go all the way" with Robbie sexually.

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Continued in Part 4

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The Development of Lisa's Political Rebellion -- Part 2

Part 1

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While the Housemans are unloading their baggage from their car, Lisa and her mother Marjorie discuss Lisa's wardrobe.

Lisa Houseman
(Observing that someone else's large pile of shoe boxes is being taken into the hotel)
Oh, my God. Look at that! Mom, I should've brought the coral shoes. You said I was taking too much.

Marjorie Houseman
Well, sweetheart, you brought ten pairs.

Lisa Houseman
But the coral shoes matched that dress.

This concern is important to Lisa, and she is not inhibited in expressing it to her Mom, who will treat the concern seriously. Marjorie does not dismiss or mock Lisa's concern.

However, Majorie has suggested to Lisa that she should limit her vacation wardrobe for practical reasons. Marjorie surely argued to Lisa that the baggage space in the car and in the hotel room would be limited.

Marjorie indulges Lisa's desire to optimize her appearance at great expense. When Lisa becomes upset about a trivial flaw -- the imperfection of a color match between shoes and a dress -- Marjorie gently calms Lisa.

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In contrast, Lisa's concern is mocked immediately by her father and sister.

Jake Houseman
This is not a tragedy. A tragedy is three men trapped in a mine or police dogs used in Birmingham.

Baby Houseman
Monks burning themselves in protest.

Lisa Houseman
Butt out, Baby.

Although her father started the mockery, Lisa does not dare to tell him to "butt out".

The three tragedies are irrelevant to Lisa's concern about her vacation wardrobe. The tragedies happened no matter which shoes Lisa did or did not bring. Apparently, though Lisa's father and sister perceive that Lisa is generally too ignorant and unconcerned about current events.

Doctor Houseman saves sick people's lives, and Baby is planning to save the world. Meanwhile, Lisa seems to care only about her wardrobe. And Marjorie indulges Lisa!

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Does Marjorie herself care about the world's tragedies? At dinner, Marjorie starts the family's mocking of Baby.

Marjorie Houseman
Look at all this leftover food. Are there still starving children in Europe?

Baby Houseman
Try Southeast Asia, Ma.

Marjorie Houseman
Right.

Jake Houseman
(Addressing Robbie)
Robbie, Baby wants to send her leftover pot roast to Southeast Asia, so anything we don't finish, wrap it up.

(Addressing Max)
Max, our Baby's gonna change the world.

Max Kellerman
(Addressing Lisa)
And what are you gonna do, Missy?

Baby Houseman
Lisa's gonna decorate it.

Baby, with her remark Try Southeast Asia, Ma, suggests that her "Ma" stopped caring about starving children long ago. In the 1940s children were starving in Europe, but now in 1963 the starving-children problem is in Southeast Asia. Marjorie, like Lisa, seems to be ignorant and unconcerned about current events.

Marjorie and Jake both have mocked Baby. Baby retaliates by mocking Lisa, who has not said anything. Evidently, there is plenty of resentment in the Houseman family.

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Baby insinuates that her mother cares too little about starving children in Southeast Asia. Baby herself intends to help those children directly, by joining the Peace Corps. Indeed, Baby might actually join the Peace Corps right after she graduates from college, four years in the future.

For Marjorie and Jake, however, aspiring to join the Peace Corp and thus to directly help starving children in Southeast Asia it is not practical. They are middle-aged, married parents with various professional, financial and social obligations. They both have come to resent Baby's insinuations about their supposed lack of concern, and so they both mock Baby.

Of course, Marjorie does care about starving children abroad, but she cannot help them directly. What she can do is to vote for liberal politicians who will raise taxes to pay for generous foreign aid to help starving children abroad. For example, Marjorie voted for Adlai Stevenson for President in the 1950s and for John Kennedy for President in 1960. She always votes for Democrats, because she expects them to raise taxes in order provide various government benefits to disadvantaged people

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Lisa respects her mother and generally follows her mother's example. Like her mother, Lisa intends to marry a doctor or some such successful professional. Lisa intends to give birth and stay at home and raise her family's children. Lisa intends to create and maintain a beautiful home and to support her husband. Lisa will socialize with the other doctors' wives and thus support her husband socially.

Like her mother, Lisa will donate some of her family's money to various charities. Lisa will likewise vote for liberal Democrats who will generously vote for generous government programs.

Lisa does not think much about politics, because she intuitively understands correct political principles and conduct. Lisa intends to follow in her mother's footsteps and thus she will live a good life.

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Continued in Part 3