MORE STRUCTURE

"You're late," complained Bear.

"I slept in," said Bum.

"Why's that, Bum.  You usually get up early around 5:30, don't you?" queried Bear.

"It's odd, Bear, the only time I sleep in is when I have to be up by 7:30 am to take the garbage out for pickup.  That is what happened today.  I tore out of bed, rammed on my shoes, and raced outside in my pyjamas."
 
"Good lord, Bum, didn't you even have time to get your coat on.  It's cold still in the mornings."

"No time for a coat, Bear, but I was wearing my robe which I usually sleep in because it's cold in my room." said Bum, by way of an explanation.

"Good lord," said Bear again.  "Why don't you get yourself another blanket for your bed?  Like a normal person would, I should add."

"Never mind all that, Bear, let's get on with Structure.  We still have more than half of that to analyze."

"OK, what did our lofty editor say next?"

"He said, and I quote, "As written, My Imaginary Dog follows most closely the archetypal Love plot, but, unlike the archetypal Love plot, this one has a down ending rather than a happy ending.  In this respect it's a little like, say, Love Story by Erich Segal, or even Romeo and Juliet, but these two partake rather of a different master plot, Illicit Love, and Illicit Love plots end in tragedy.  Society disapproves of the love, and so brings about its destruction.  In My Imaginary Dog, there is not a clear obstacle to the romance relationship between Janey and Gordon."

"Boy, Bum, your nephew has a hangup about archetypes, doesn't he?" said Bear.

"Indeed," said Bum, "so I googled the definition of archetypes just so we know what we are up against."

"OK," said Bear.  "What are we up against, Bum?  What is the definition?"

Bum paused for effect.  She knows Bear hates that.  "In literature, an archetype is a typical character, an action, or a situation that seems to represent universal patterns of human nature.  An archetype, also known as a "universal symbol," may be a character, a theme, a symbol, or even a setting."

"It's difficult to dispute that definition, Bum.  Paul got it right this time.  Janey and Gordon's story is indeed more like Love Story by Erich Segal than Romeo and Juliet.  In Love Story, the heroine dies at the end which I suppose coincides with Paul's belief that our story has a sad ending too.   Gordon, in real life, is dead now but you let him live on in memory, which I think our readers will like.  I wish we had a famous line in our story, Bum," said Bear, as an after thought.

"What famous line, Bear?" asked Bum.

"Love means never having to say you're sorry," answered Bear.

"We should be able to do better than that sucky line, Bear," said Bum.

"Dream on, Bum," said Bear disparagingly.

"We've still got a ways to go with Structure, Bear.  Paul has written quite a bit about Gordon leaving and Janey not, and why.  But, I have to go now and get started on my exercises."

"What exercises?" asked Bear.

"The ones I've been given by my physiotherapist," said Bum.

"I'm glad you took that radiologist's advice, Bum, and found yourself a physiotherapist, and fairly quickly, which is not like you, quickly I mean.  I bet your sister had something to do with it."

"Indeed," said Bum.  "My sister, like you, is a bit of a nag, so I knew as soon as I told her, that I would have to do it, and quickly as you commented."

"How did you find a physiotherapist, Bum?" asked Bear.

"I used the one my sister had used a few weeks earlier.  She has some back problems too.  Anyway, I went down and made an appointment.  The physiotherapist resides in an office at the Dollarton Shopping Centre so she is handy.  We met for over an hour and she went over some exercises she thought might help me."

"What is her name, Bum?"

"Andrea Bag, or something like that," said Bum, "or maybe it was Box.  You know I'm no good with names, Bear."

"What kind of exercises did she give you, Bum, and how many?" asked Bear.

"She gave me 5 exercises I can do in bed.  They must be done 3 days per week, so I do them Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.  Each one has 10 repetitions so I do 1 rep in the morning when I wake up, and 1 rep at night before I sleep."

"That seems a lot," said Bear.

"If that were all," muttered Bum.  "I have 4 other exercises which need to be done 2 reps per time, and twice a day, and weekly.  Again, I do half in the am and half in the pm."

"Jeez," said Bear.  "That's a bit much, Bum.  That woman sounds like a sadist about exercises.."

"So true, Bear, so true.  That is why I now call her my psychotherapist."








 









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