Google is right in that instance, but the implication by the larger text is "lacking in humor about this particular gesture", not lacking in humor in general.
And yes, the fratboy letter: welcome to 18th century misogyny, straight variation. I would not have wanted to be married to any of these brothers. (Sorry, Ferdinand, I know you were supposedly a good husband, but I'm not into uncle/niece incest.)
Mind you, I hope he was at least polite to Louise (and there's no report to the contrary), and clearly when later falling in love he did clue into the fact that there was more to both sex and women than that, but that letter certainly is something!
It's perhaps unfair to compare young AW with mature Franz Stephan, but just think of FS' advice to about to get married son Leopold for how to behave towards your wife for comparison. (A quick reminder: with gentilesse et courtoisie, humor and also the ability to look at things from her pov as well.) MT really got the best of them, his occasional affairs not withstanding.
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Re: AW readthrough
Date: 2020-08-30 03:02 pm (UTC)And yes, the fratboy letter: welcome to 18th century misogyny, straight variation. I would not have wanted to be married to any of these brothers. (Sorry, Ferdinand, I know you were supposedly a good husband, but I'm not into uncle/niece incest.)
Mind you, I hope he was at least polite to Louise (and there's no report to the contrary), and clearly when later falling in love he did clue into the fact that there was more to both sex and women than that, but that letter certainly is something!
It's perhaps unfair to compare young AW with mature Franz Stephan, but just think of FS' advice to about to get married son Leopold for how to behave towards your wife for comparison. (A quick reminder: with gentilesse et courtoisie, humor and also the ability to look at things from her pov as well.) MT really got the best of them, his occasional affairs not withstanding.