“I couldn't change enough, and I knew it.
All I could do was something that would have pleased mo t h e r .
I could give up swearing, I could clean up my language which
had upset mother so. And so I did.
"You mean you're not going to say 'fuck' or 'shit' or 'cocksucker'
or even 'up yours' or 'in the ear' or anything,
anymore?" Franny asked me.
that's right," I said.
"Not even 'asshole'?" Franny asked.
"Right," I said.
"You asshole," Franny said.
"It makes as much sense as anything else," Frank
reasoned.
"You dumb prick," Franny baited me.
"i think it's rather noble," Lilly said. "Small, but noble."
"He lives in a second-rate whorehouse with people who
want to start the world over and he wants to clean up his
language," Franny said. "Cunthead," she told me. "You
wretched fart," Franny said. "Beat your meat all night and
dream of tits, but you want to sound nice, is that it?" she”