in which capital (References to "capital" mean "Waaahh! It's unfair that people make millions for making stuff people want when I only get a professor's salary and I'm so much smarter.")
"Capital" is the basis of this author's conception of social relations. Specifically, it refers to her cousin, who screwed up all through high school,and after managing two years at community college snagged a job with some retail outfit. Now it's all she hears about from her mother, "your cousin X this," she says and "your cousin x's new house" and "his lovely wife Xess, and "your cousin took me out to dinner in his new Mercedes..." and on and on.
The Scholar's soliloquy: "Within two years of starting the little turd was an assistant manager pulling almost 70 thou a year, not including benefits. He took up golf. Golf. And then he met the V.P., you know, playing golf, and now he sends me post cards from Fiji or some damn place where he's playing, you guessed it, golf with his big wheel buddies and drinking single-malt scotch, simultaneously. I get these post cards in the dead of winter while I'm freezing my ass off in this miserable city where I teach these little zombies six hours a week and spend 12 in meetings."
"I wrote poetry, studied and sucked up, my teachers called me 'gifted.' He screwed around and played baseball, that little philistine (whoops, shouldn't have said that...)"
That's all the time I have at the moment, but this is a deep well. All are invited to participate in this exegesis.
LOL! That's brilliant!
I'm too tired at the moment to add to your exegesis, but perhaps tomorrow.
Ever thought of writing a satirical novel? I think you'd be good at it.