The Paper Eater (Liz Jensen) читать бесплатно онлайн полную версию книги

THE HOGG FAMILY DYNAMIC

In the Hogg family dynamic, Harvey Kidd is both ‘father’ and ‘son’ to the group, Hannah wrote. Her hands flew over the keyboard, stabbing sharply as she laid bare the personalities of the people Harvey called his nearest and dearest. It was easy enough to write. She had a lifetime’s experience of keeping a distance. She couched the ten pages in the factual, metaphor-free language the Boss digested quickest:

The mother-figure is the most potent emotional symbol in the portfolio. She is the most sharply defined, as well as being the member Kidd invokes most frequently. The father-figure and the uncle are classic ‘male power-sharers’. Kidd himself confesses to feeling ambivalence about the idea of having a father. This is clearly Oedipal. His solution is to dilute Rick Hogg’s authority by setting him next to an older brother, Uncle Sid – whom Kidd pictures as more of a friend, or ‘alternative’ father. Lola is a straightforward sexual fantasy. However, because she also plays the role of a sister, Kidd feels the discomfort and guilt associated with theoretical incest. The same applies to Gloria, the ‘mother’. Meanwhile Cameron, the ‘brother’, is a source of deep resentment. He provides a constant reminder of the ‘incest factor’ with Lola and Gloria, as well as being a rival for parental affection…

And so on.

When she e-mailed it to Pike, it was a relief to have it behind her. She was confused, exhausted, scared. Nothing felt right. She had never had these feelings before. They tore at her, they hurt. That was it. What was happening felt dangerous, unmanageable. Unplug a blockage, and anything can happen, can’t it.