Subject: Re: Dreamself & Non-helpful SDC (was John Cleese) From: barb@zurich.ai.mit.edu (Barb Miller) Date: 1991-09-26, 05:00 Newsgroups: alt.tv.twin-peaks Reply-to: barb@zurich.ai.mit.edu In article <1991Sep24.212342.16467@risky.ecs.umass.edu> giovin@medr0.ecs.umass.edu (Rocky J Giovinazzo) writes: [in response to my suggestion as to why Senor Droolcup/the Giant didn't help the wounded Cooper: >Or because Cooper had to be in that dream state between life and >death to become receptive to the message that the giant was giving. I >don't have anything handy to check exactly when it was that the giant >started speaking to Cooper, but I believe that it was after he was >shot and before he got medical help. Umm... well I guess that could be why, but he delivered messages later too. ...which was why I said "to become receptive". It would seem that, once the Giant's messages had come true and Cooper believed him, Cooper might be more inclined to be receptive to the messages without having to be in such a dream state. Or one could argue, as some have, that Cooper changed fundamentally after this and became less sharp and rational. This could open up the question of the importance of the wound he receives from Josie (I wonder if this is the first moderately serious wound he's received since Pittsburgh) in changing his overall approach to what he's doing. If it opens up communication with the spiritual realms that the Giant represents, this new approach could be seen as helpful, in that it helps him become aware of Bob. It certainly leaves him vulnerable to Windom Earle however, although I might argue that Cooper would always be vulnerable to him (more symbolism of the wound). Since these wounds are "opened up" again in the final sequence they would seem to be significant. I have to get to work now, but I could cite instances in mythology and initiation rites where a wound is essential to achieving a greater understanding or higher consciousness as it were. I'm not sure where all of this leads (and it's a lot to draw from a question of why a supposedly "good" character didn't help the wounded Cooper), but maybe I'll have some time to follow it further. Barb Miller