Bullock's Party
“How often will you apologize for that?” “Don’t you like me?” she Pauline asked. Her sent in the cool air was warm. He wished he could see her eyes through the veil.
“You mean I already have?” He was astonished.
“On the contrary—”
“Only last week when you were assisting me in the kitchen after dinner while Howard was bathing the children.”
She waited.
“I remember. Please excuse me.”
“—I like you,” Levin said.
“Don’t apologize for apologizing or you’ll have me reeling.”
“Then why didn’t you come to dinner Friday night?”
***
“Excuse me for mentioning it, but have you really graduated to cocktails? The night we met, you wouldn’t have one.”
“Just a sip for sociability. I’m always saying no so much.”
“I can’t recall that I’ve ever seen you smoking?”
“Why?”
“An occasional butt. I’ve really given them up.”
“Habit.”
“You must have a strong will.”
“I have a strong memory.”
“You’ll soon run out of What do you do for sins.?”
She was mocking and he tried to see her eyes, but wasn’t sure through the veil, what her expression was.
Levin guffawed but came to quickly.
*** indicates a section we have removed to put emphasis on particular sections of dialogue
Analysis:
In this section, Malamud ultimately changed the tone of Pauline and Levin's interaction to read more intimately. In the original draft Levin keeps Pauline at a more formal distance, still apologetic about his behavior while he was sick, to one with more curiosity and intimacy. The introduction of Pauline's veil and Levin's subsequent longing for its absence has moved to the beginning of their interaction, indicating that his interest in her is piqued much earlier. This could be a response to Pauline's direct inquiry about his feelings for her or it could simply be a decision on Malamud's part to build connection and tension between the two characters where Levin's passivity toward Pauline made this connection less apparent. The shorter exchange is colored by Levin's pause between 'on the contrary' and 'I like you,' which adds weight and significance to the exchange. Furthermore, the addition of "she waited," indicates Pauline's greater investment in Levin's response to her question; it is clear she cares a great deal about his opinion of her.
In the published version, Levin admits that he and Gilley have had a disagreement, but there is no evidence of this confession or Pauline's interest in it in the original manuscript. Levin's decision to reveal this information to Pauline indicates that he has already separated her from her husband as her own entity and identified her as someone who will be sympathetic to him.
The discussion of sin further reflects a more direct exchange between the two. In the manuscript version, both characters seem hesitant to ask direct questions. Rather than asking if Levin smokes, Pauline casually mentions that she hasn't ever seen him smoke, indicating her own curiosity with an attempt to pass it off as small talk. The rest of the exchange is characterized as flirtatious teasing, where Levin's recognition of Pauline's gentle mockery makes him that much more curious about her. His attempt to see past her expression is thwarted by her veil which further suggests that she is unwilling or unable to reveal her true curiosity. In the published version, however, Pauline is more direct in her approach and Levin's responses betray his unease with the situation. Her direct inquiry about his sins provokes discomfort on Levin's part, but, as is his habit throughout the published novel, he hides this discomfort behind a laugh (or guffaw in this case). As the interaction continues past the scope of what is displayed above, Pauline is more guarded in her giving of information, despite an increased willingness to seek information from Levin. Rather than slowing the development of their relationship, the smaller quantity of information coupled with Levin's facination with Pauline's veil seem to strengthen the development. In the manuscript version, Levin seems overwhelmed and even disgusted by Pauline's frankness at times, but in the published version, Pauline's tendency to hide information seems to draw Levin even closer. Overall, the revisions Malamud made to this section build the connection between Pauline and Levin more quickly, despite the less direct method of exchange.