On Thu, 7 Jun 2012 21:06:08 -0700, Peter Montgomery <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >Has any Eliot scholar done any work on the eternal footman >and why Eliot would have used the image. On the surface, of course, >it just means the guy is always there, but the sub currents are tremendous >and even absurd. A great character for an absurd play. "Always there": One reason why the Footman could be Time. I suppose Death can be visualized as always being around too but only noticed now and then (pre-24 hour news). "sub current": I see the jacket that the footman finally holds up as a shroud. Maybe the footman helps the attendent lord into a hearse afterwards. >Reminds me of the chess game with the knight in that great movie >The Seventh Seal. That came to my mind too. Ever see the parody "De Düva"? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dove_%281968_film%29 Looks as if copies have been put on youTube. Regards, Rick Parker