Let's see if I can explain the reasoning behind this in a coherent fashion. I know I'll go long, so I'm going to tuck this response inside- also going inside in case someone else wants to take a stab at answering Tess' question, without knowing what my reasoning for the storyline is>>> -- Cindy's Cottage

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Date Posted: 11:11:15 07/29/09 Wed
Author:

celtgirl ()
Subject: Let's see if I can explain the reasoning behind this in a coherent fashion. I know I'll go long, so I'm going to tuck this response inside- also going inside in case someone else wants to take a stab at answering Tess' question, without knowing what my reasoning for the storyline is>>>
In reply to: Tess 's message, "I'm curious as to why Casey would contemplate going to work on a fishing boat for weeks at a time, leaving his wife working for this very man for whom he has misgivings about working for himself, particularly considering that he is aware of Hagerty's lust toward Pamela. I don't understand why he wouldn't want to get her out of that situation as well, rather than leaving her there to fend for herself. He's been approached by the Feds, he knows he's involved with a mbster, who wants to get his wife in bed, and most likely is trying to get rid of him according to the recent evidence pertaining to the dead prostitute. I just cannot see why he would think going away and leaving his wife alone in that environment would help matters." on 10:18:26 07/29/09 Wed

This entire section that takes place in Boston has a fish out of water theme. I see each book as an element in my head, essentially, and while EU was earth, 'Mermaid' is obviously my water book. Water is Pamela's element, thus she flourishes in Boston (and by this I also mean political waters)- it's not Casey's element, so he doesn't. Because he's uncertain of himself, he makes a series of decisions that are disastrous for both of them.

At this point, he believes that if he removes himself from Boston for a bit, the heat will die down, and Love will lose interest in him, and no longer see him as a threat. He obviously doesn't know that the FBI is going to approach his wife to sting Love Hagerty. He knows Love desires his wife, but he doesn't know, at this point, just how far that desire goes, nor how Love views Pamela- he thinks it's lust and that, at this point, it's likely Pamela can handle that with a simply refusal. He's worried for her should something happen to him, but not realizing just yet that Love is trying to remove him from the picture entirely.

All this is to say, he's not thinking clearly really, because he's out of place, out of his depth and making misstep after misstep. During the last dicussion of 'Mermaid' someone commented that Casey was annoying the heck out of her, (and this was someone who told me many times he was her favourite literary character ever) that he didn't seem to be himself, and didn't deal with things in a Casey-like fashion. I told her that was essentially how she should feel, because he isn't being himself in Boston- and this is one of the reasons that Pamela makes the decision that she does at the end of this section about where they will live in the future. (not sure exactly how far you are, Tess, so I'm trying not to give anything away).

Last edited by author: Wed July 29, 2009 11:31:00 Edited 2 times.

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Thanks for the explication. I'm somewhere about chapter 18 in the book currently....Flip's just entered the picture. Anyway...I reckon I was voicing frustrations at the way Casey handles this situation, which have, as you say, disastrous consequences. While I do see that he's out of his element, I don't necessarily think he is out of character. He has had a tendency to fail to realize when someone he cares about is in need of his protection. He does have the tendency on occasion to be a bit dense and completely misinterpret things. Bah...but that's where it gets fun, aye? (NT) -- Tess, 12:20:40 07/29/09 Wed
- Yes, indeed. If the characters didn't make questionable choices, there wouldn't be much drama in the story, hence they occasionally do things that make the reader think, 'what the heck are you thinking?' (NT) -- celtgirl, 13:17:03 07/29/09 Wed

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