Word: figs
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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...narrators of The Accompanist and The Fig Tree must deal with the doubts of the husbands they have cuckolded. In the first story, a pianist leaves a package of apple tarts at her lover's apartment. She arrives home dessertless for a dinner party to which her lover is invited. The husband clowns around, sings bawdy songs and regrets the missing tarts which, he is told, were left at a rehearsal studio. How much does he know? How much does he want to know? There are no answers, only a delicate tension created by Pritchett's great talent...
...husband in The Fig Tree knows the truth and exacts an ironic revenge. He is a businessman who spends much time away from home while his wife putters in the garden and eventually with the nurseryman. Instead of staging a showdown, the husband sends his daughter to boarding school and his wife to work for the nurseryman. The professional association is fatal to the affair. Laments the nurseryman: "The roles of Duggie and myself were reversed: when Duggie came home once a week now from Brussels it was he who seemed to be the lover and I the husband. Sally...
...exact words. Yes, the press secretary told the President, Kennedy had said the oil lobby intimidated Carter into "throwing in the towel" on decontrol without even "entering the ring." Yes, Kennedy had accused Carter of submitting a token windfall profits tax that was no more than a "transparent fig leaf over vast new corporate profits...
Carter was steaming. Kennedy's criticisms were usually much more carefully phrased. The President looked at Powell and brusquely said that was a lot of baloney. A few minutes later, to Powell's surprise, Carter repeated the same comment to the press corps. Thus began the great fig leaf and baloney...
...office becomes the only objective. Fortunately, there is still some pure political sentiment around these premises, struggling for its life. Last week, with Teddy attacking Jimmy and Jimmy attacking Teddy and Jerry attacking Jimmy and George attacking the attackers, it seemed like old times. The language was enriched. "Fig leaf," said Kennedy. "Baloney," said Carter. "Botched the job," charged Ford. "Reckless . . . failure," roared Bush. There is room for rhetorical improvement, but at least there is some passion. The juices are flowing. Labor bosses are sorting through the possibilities. Businessmen are hustling money. Young matrons, bored for too many months...