There was a good article by Jonathan Yardley in the Washington Post the other day (click here) where he reviews a book written by Olivia Laing Trip to Echo Spring. It is a book about American writers who just happened to also be alcoholics. Yardley didn’t particularly like the book and takes several shots at it including its basic premise that American writers were somehow more prone to being alcoholics. Speaking of the author, Yardley writes:
She doesn’t really come to terms with Prohibition, though it is surely no coincidence that the rise of literary alcoholism began just as the legal spigot was turned off and the illegal one was opened wide. Rather than leading Americans away from drink, Prohibition led them toward it — especially those in literary circles.
Not sure I buy all that, but it does make for a good theory.
I couldn’t find a Youtube movie clip where Brick explains to Big Daddy why he drinks but here’s how it went:
Brick: Somethin’ hasn’t happened yet.
Big Daddy: What’s that?
Brick: A click in my head.
Big Daddy: Did you say, ‘click’?
Brick: Yes sir, the click in my head that makes me feel peaceful.
Big Daddy: Boy, sometimes you worry me.
Brick: It’s like a switch, clickin’ off in my head. Turns the hot light off and the cool one on and all of a sudden, there’s peace.
Big Daddy: Boy, you’re, you’re a real alcoholic!
Brick: That is the truth. Yes sir, I am an alcoholic, so if you’d just excuse me…
Big Daddy: (grabbing him) No, I won’t excuse you.
Brick: Now I’m waitin’ for that click and I don’t get it. Listen, I’m all alone. I’m talkin’ to no one where there’s absolute quiet.
Big Daddy: You’ll hear plenty of that in the grave soon enough. But right now, we’re gonna sit down and talk this over.
Brick: This talk is like all the others. It gets nowhere, nowhere, and it’s painful.
http://www.filmsite.org/cato2.html
Did manage to find this scene though. Liz was something wasn’t she?
