As I was contemplating the Meaning of the Universe (yeh, I was “on the throne”), it occurred to me that I have read very, very few scenes in the (literally) tens of thousands of books–about 2/3 fiction–I’ve read that deal explicitly with the elimination of feces. Protagonists can go through days, weeks, months, years without once taking a dump.
This is weird. I mean, take a man who loves his wife and enjoys the marriage bed with her greatly. Lock him away from his wife for a week. Plug him up so he can NOT void his bowels for the same week. Now, when released, which is going to be the greater biological imperative? Sex or dumping?
See? It’s easy to trump Freud, the weenie. *heh*
Now, back to fictional representations of the act. There are LOTS (loads, tons, an abundant redundant superfluous excess *heh*) of sex scenes in fictional representation, but a paucity of number 2s. Strange, that. The only fictional representation of dumping that springs readily to mind is from the Michael Douglas (Michael and Douglas Crichton writing as Michael Douglas) book, Dealing or The Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues. Now, admittedly, this ain’t “grate litterchure” but it’s well written and a cracking good, very amusing story–especially for some of us who lived through the 70s mostly conscious (in contrast to many of our acquaintances).
Gotta hand it to “Michael Douglas”. Sure knew how to place things in perspective.
So, if there are any aspiring authors of fiction out there who happen to read this post, please consider including some number 2s in your work. Verisimilitude, dontcha know.
Now, I’m not asking for “plop-plop (fizz-fizz?)” representations, but come on! I have enough difficulty suspending disbelief as it is.
I’m left nearly speechless. I seriously don’t think I even know how to comment on that. Maybe it’s because I don’t know very many protagonists whose feces has been described as stinking?
*heh*
One of the voices in my head got loose and ran all over my keyboard…
This is a very odd post. Not due to content – but due to the fact that you’re the only other person I know who contemplates this omission (or lack thereof?). It has always struck me as odd that almost no one, in the history of literature, has ever taken a dump. (Admittedly, with some authors, this could be because the entire manuscript fulfills that function.)
And yes…the manuscript I have under consideration at present DOES include at least one *cough* referential scene.
Somehow, I had a feeling you’d see the validity of this issue, Yak. 😉
You are correct David. Ed Greenwood is the only author I’ve read that gets into all the nitty gritty like that. Not all the time, mind you, just enough to add some extra autheticity to his fantasy setting.
Woody–the “Forgotten Realms” guy? Yeh, interesting. The “Michael Douglas” book’s “nitty gritty” as you put it, is simply more… memorable, I suppose. *heh* (I really need to dig out my copy from wherever it’s hiding, cos I’d really prefer to quote the scene exactly. ;-))
Of course. Bearing in mind that it doesn’t take much to make the point….but omitting the point entirely is a bit stretched.