Feet

I have been thinking about the recurrent theme of feet in this.

Now, after reading Julies post about the mutation of language, I wonder about the mutation of feet and shoes.

Kane's mother, we assume, was born with normal feet but then through her career as a dancer, her feet became deformed by overuse.  Yet, she created beauty through dance that resulted in the destruction and ugliness of her feet.

And then there are the pointed toes.  In Beede's dream he looks down at his feet, "- were tightly encased in a pair of  tiny, leather shoes; ornate leather pumps, dramatically pointed.  And the toes - (320).

Later Kane--in some kind of state--is thinking that he is putting soil in his shoes, "His tiny, hand-made, exquisitely stitched, ludicrously pointed boots . . ." (572).

Were these Medieval shoes and they were both channeling John Scogin?

More about shoes is the discussion between Elen and Kane about his feet.  Kane believes he has "unnaturally large feet" but Elen tells him, "'You have perfectly normal-sized feet.'" (394). They embark on a discussion of Doc Martens and, though "'Manufactured in the UK [...] They don't depend on the exploitation of third world labour.'" But Kane says '''there may be serious Human Rights issues in the country - or countries - where they source their rubber . . .'" (395).

I think here we have "The Sweatshop Sublime."

And please don't think I have a foot fetish.

Cheers,

Wayne