>>117442It's not, but it definitely touches on similar themes as something you might find in IJ. Just pick it up when it feels right, don't let the number of pages feel daunting.
>>117437There's so many ways to interpret this passage, but I feel like you've glossed over them all to arrive at a very cynical, dead-end interpretation. In some ways, he's calling her an old cow because he desperately wanted her to say something harmful to him on his death bed, as if to make him even for the years of abuse he gave her. When she denied him this, it was almost like she was sending him to hell; he could not possibly redeem himself, hence, "You old cow". In other ways, it really can be seen as a term of endearment, my parents say stuff like that to each other a lot, my mum calls my dad an old bastard all the time in a loving way, it's definitely more a British/Australian thing than an American thing. Then there's also the idea that he really meant to call her an old cow, and she thinks he loves her by saying this. It's as if, even when given the opportunity to be good, he still chooses to be a bastard; she thinks he's doing this so that she doesn't feel guilt when he dies, in reality he really does just think she's an old cow. It's definitely an interesting way to bring to light the types of mentalities you might find in victims of abuse, as if they'll go through all types of mental loops to maintain their belief that a person is good. It's deeply sad, told with enough irony to make it palatable. Humour helps us process the absurd.
