I think people often do whatever they're doing because they're 'performing' (as they say) their identity (and gender role) for themselves, not just for others.
I definitely agree with this. I think it ties into what soupytwist was saying (on another post?) about the way Archie sometimes says and does things because he seems to feel that it's expected. It's like he is performing himself, or his idea of himself. Sometimes it's obvious that he is doing it for his audience, but other times you really have to wonder. One of my favourite things about these books are the moments when you see that his ideas about himself don't quite line up with the facts that he is presenting.
It's interesting to me to think of how aggressively Archie pursues working
Yes! I consider this one of Archie's defining traits. He says at one point that what he likes more than anything else is to do a good job. It seems to me that he is driven not so much by a need for approval (although he admits that Wolfe's approval makes his heart skip a beat) but rather by a desire to satisfy his pride. Doesn't Wolfe say in one of the books that Archie's pride is even greater than his own?
P.S. Welcome to milk_and_orchids! I'm thrilled that new people are coming out of the woodwork!
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Date: 2010-05-08 01:48 pm (UTC)I definitely agree with this. I think it ties into what
It's interesting to me to think of how aggressively Archie pursues working
Yes! I consider this one of Archie's defining traits. He says at one point that what he likes more than anything else is to do a good job. It seems to me that he is driven not so much by a need for approval (although he admits that Wolfe's approval makes his heart skip a beat) but rather by a desire to satisfy his pride. Doesn't Wolfe say in one of the books that Archie's pride is even greater than his own?
P.S. Welcome to