Reality and Dreams and initialisms

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Paradox

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The following snippets are from Reality and Dreams, by Muriel Spark, the author of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.

"I hope," she said, "you have signed on with a B.A. and let them have your C.V. with a claim for A.P.L."
"What are B.A., A.P.L.?" said Ruth.
"Benefits Agency; Accreditation of Prior Learning. C.V. means curriculum vitae which means-"
"I know that one." said Ruth.
"You need to find your L.A.'s U.B.O. and perhaps put in for some E.T."
"Still you should have some I.S."
I hope he has an insurance and an S.D.A., otherwise-"
"S.D.A.?" said Ruth.
"Severe Disability Allowance," ...

Spark punctuates all the acronyms in the book. She even capitalizes and punctuates T.V.

Acronyms and initialisms aren't usually punctuated.

They are in the ransom note.

Reality and Dreams was published in 1996.

Muriel Spark died in April of this year.
 
Paradox, very interesting. Do you have a theory about what S.B.T.C. means?
 
I go with Saved By The Cross. It's a big thing in the charismatic Christian subculture. So are initialisms. Victory and salvation are pretty much seen as the same thing, along with deliverance. Deliver and dies are two of the most common words in the ransom note. Ransom and salvation are seen as the same thing. I think Patsy had a thing about death and sin and imperfection and judgement from On High. She worked all those things out by proxy on JonBenet, who ended up in a heaven with a God awaiting her mother's arrival. It's all a self serving psychotic fantasy.
 
Paradox said:
I go with Saved By The Cross. It's a big thing in the charismatic Christian subculture. So are initialisms. Victory and salvation are pretty much seen as the same thing, along with deliverance. Deliver and dies are two of the most common words in the ransom note. Ransom and salvation are seen as the same thing. I think Patsy had a thing about death and sin and imperfection and judgement from On High. She worked all those things out by proxy on JonBenet, who ended up in a heaven with a God awaiting her mother's arrival. It's all a self serving psychotic fantasy.
Click to expand...
So do I, because I believe PR wrote the note and it is what makes most sense of those letters in relation to PR.
 
There was a Bible found in the house with SBTC backwards, too.
 
I didn't know that Dave.
Next to Patsys bed right? ;)
 
SuperDave said:
There was a Bible found in the house with SBTC backwards, too.
Click to expand...

Can you elaborate on this a bit? I think it may have been mentioned before but probably most of us have forgotten.
 
Psalm 35:1 to 3. NIVS Bible

Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me.
Take up shield and buckler; arise and come to my aid.
Brandish spear and javelin against those who pursue me.
Say to my soul, "I am your salvation."

The author of Psalm 35 beseeches the intervention of Jahova at being pursued by a number of people, and by a single person;

35:10 Let all my bones themselves say: "O Jehova, who is there like you, delivering the afflicted one from the one stronger than he is, and the afflicted and poor one from the one robbing him?"

Presumably, the one is Satan.
 
Psalm 35:3 mentions salvation, which corroborates the interpretation of S.B.T.C as Saved By The Cross.

Also, the importance of delivery or deliverance is mentioned. The deliverance is from Satan and or Death. Deliver is repeated in the ransom note.

The Psalms and The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie are two major sources for the ransom note and the crime in general.
 
Psalm 36 goes on;

36:1 The utterance of transgression to the wicked one is in the midst of his heart; there is no dread of God in front of his eyes.

2 For he has acted too smoothly to himslef in his own eyes to find out his error so as to hate it.

3 The words of his mouth are hurtfulness and deception; he has ceased to have insight for doing good.

Satan has lack of insight.

From The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie;

... said Miss Brodie. "Do you know, Sandy dear, all my ambitions are for you and Rose. You have got insight, perhaps not quite spiritual, but you're a deep one, and Rose has got instinct, Rose has got instinct."

"That's what I mean by your insight," said Miss Brodie."I ought to know, because my prime has brought me instinct and insight, both."

"Nothing infuriates people more than their own lack of spiritual insight, ..."
 
Thanks, Paradox!

"I didn't know that Dave.
Next to Patsys bed right?"

I can't remember exactly, but I don't think so. I'll double-check
 
The New International Version Study Bible was in the library open to Psalms 35 and 36.
 
And Linda Hoffmann-Pugh said the Bible on John's bedroom desk was always open to Psalm 118 (PMPT p. 729 pb).

Do you think Patsy was deliberately "clueing" John in via the ransom note?

And did he have a clue about Patsy's psychological issues?

Paradox, this is a fascinating thread.
 
Britt, PMPT doesn't have 729 pages, could you revise that page number? I'd like to look that up. Thanks.

Patsy was clueing everyone in via the ransom note. She invited the world into her home that day. And later, she went to it via CNN. Very often people sense the coming climax of their own psychological disturbances and try to tip others off to their difficulties.

Yes, I think John had clues to Patys's illness. But like in so many cases, people look back at past behaviors and see the clues, but at the time they overlook them. Instead of looking back and putting things together, John, on the 26th 1996, went on overlooking and disregarding her clues.

In part, I think the whole crime had very much to do with Patsy feeling like she was not recognized from childhood on. She wanted that recognition from John. She used JonBenet by proxy to get attention and that of course back fired because JB did get the recognition , bypassing Patsy.

John didn't have the wherewithall to look into Patsy's mind. How could he have it? Only very well trained psychologists can see into Patsy. And John was in love and love is blind.

Ultimately Patsy went to a supernatural being for the recognition she wanted.
That, of course, is a psychotic fantasy and Patsy used the ransom note and her invitations to the world to "clue In" everyone to her plight.

The whole thing was one big act; Patsy Paugh Ramsey's passion play. And she wanted a captive audience. Ironically, Patsy died without anyone, except me, knowing of her situation. She burried herself in the intruder theory and John piled the dirt high and deep.

Can you imagine going to those extremes and failing?
 
Very interesting, Paradox, thanks for posting that. You've got my attention.

That PMPT page number is in the paperback. In the hardcover it is page 562.
 
Paradox:
Are you suggesting the whole thing is a Munchausen by Proxy syndrome?
It makes sense.
 
<<And John was in love and love is blind>>

I don't think so.
Not by that stage.
Both were rumoured to be having affairs.
Patsy confided to LHP that she couldn't stand having sex with her husband.
Doesn't sound like a love story to me.
 
narlacat said:
<<And John was in love and love is blind>>

I don't think so.
Not by that stage.
Both were rumoured to be having affairs.
Patsy confided to LHP that she couldn't stand having sex with her husband.
Doesn't sound like a love story to me.
Click to expand...
Then we should discuss love.

John was once very much in love with Patsy. Love connects people in ways they are not aware of and in ways they might not even want. The union is deep and profound in the soul. Loss of love can mean loss of soul, loss of self. Self delusion is often prefered to loss of self by admitting loss of love.

To this day John lives in delusion so as not to lose himself.
 
tumble said:
Paradox:
Are you suggesting the whole thing is a Munchausen by Proxy syndrome?
It makes sense.
Click to expand...
That's part of it. The many trips to the doctor with bladder complaints would be Munchausen proper, but not the killing. That's different.
 
Paradox said:
Britt, PMPT doesn't have 729 pages, could you revise that page number? I'd like to look that up. Thanks.

Patsy was clueing everyone in via the ransom note. She invited the world into her home that day. And later, she went to it via CNN. Very often people sense the coming climax of their own psychological disturbances and try to tip others off to their difficulties.

Yes, I think John had clues to Patys's illness. But like in so many cases, people look back at past behaviors and see the clues, but at the time they overlook them. Instead of looking back and putting things together, John, on the 26th 1996, went on overlooking and disregarding her clues.

In part, I think the whole crime had very much to do with Patsy feeling like she was not recognized from childhood on. She wanted that recognition from John. She used JonBenet by proxy to get attention and that of course back fired because JB did get the recognition , bypassing Patsy.

John didn't have the wherewithall to look into Patsy's mind. How could he have it? Only very well trained psychologists can see into Patsy. And John was in love and love is blind.

Ultimately Patsy went to a supernatural being for the recognition she wanted.
That, of course, is a psychotic fantasy and Patsy used the ransom note and her invitations to the world to "clue In" everyone to her plight.

The whole thing was one big act; Patsy Paugh Ramsey's passion play. And she wanted a captive audience. Ironically, Patsy died without anyone, except me, knowing of her situation. She burried herself in the intruder theory and John piled the dirt high and deep.

Can you imagine going to those extremes and failing?
Click to expand...
I personally believe that Patsy was very much 'recognized' from childhood on, but only in a way which involved beauty. And not only was she beautiful, she also got a university journalism degree. Which is why I can't quite see that Patsy did not get enough recognition from her birth family. There was no drop-dead gorgeous sister in the family whom she had to envy. In fact, it probably was Patsy who was the 'drop-dead gorgeous' sister for both Pam and Polly to be envied. In short, both beauty and intelligence would have put her very high on the totem pole in a family like the Paughs.

Imo, what ruined Patsy was not that she never got 'enough recognition', but that she could not really accept stepping back and pass the torch on to JB, who was to become the beautiful young woman which 40-year-old Patsy would never be again. The classic 'Snow White' syndrome.
Paradox: do you actually believe Patsy planned the murder of her daughter?
 
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