As with the first set of letters, I really enjoyed this second set as well. I was particularly enchanted by the encounter with the Lady Fatima in Antinople. It was really interesting to see that, though the encounter was very much in line with the Turkish culture, it also seemed to be very similar to the tea time visits in London by the upper echelons of society. The visit was only entertained by women and they talked entirely of things that were, for a lack of a better term right now, fun, and not politically driven. I was also taken by her absolute unabashadness in describing Fatima's inestimable beauty. It was riveting and intimate without being shocking or sexual in nature. You don't see that kind of descriptive ability too often, not to mention that it was pure in it's emotion, not fabricated. It helped show the importance of social encounters in that culture and that the kinds of entertainment and the extent of the meals, company, etc. are extremely important in showing the hostess' social status.
I also found it interesting that, at one point, Lady Montague seems to be worried about losing her own culture and identity through being firmly entrenched in the foreign lands for so long. However, her later letters no longer let on that worry. I don't know if it was because she had just had a child for no reason other than to remove a social stigma from her family, that coupled with raging hormones so soon after birthing, caused a little extra emotion than was really there, or if she was truly worried about losing her identity. However, as is evident by her later letters, she rebounded her English well and was no longer worried about it. In these later letters, since Lady Montague has been there for a few years now, we really start getting vivid descriptions of every day life, the social pecking order, and the superstitions and prejudices that the Ottomans have. I really enjoyed this bunch of letters and am looking forward to Monday's continued discussion.
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Don't forget that the letters were either revised or completely reconstructed when she was back in England. I doubt we can take her anxiety about losing her English at face value. Rather, I'd say it speaks to her pleasure at having mastered enough of the Turkish language (and others) to function in her adopted culture. Also, her anxieties about "losing her English" might also reflect her worries about having to return home and whether she would be able to return to the old round of social obligations.
I like your description of how she represents her visits with Fatima: they do seem quite special ... intimate and exciting without being sexual. It is rare to see the human potential of friendship between women discussed in such a way.
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