John Wren-Lewis
Nixon and Chou
Dreamed c.1973 by John Wren-Lewis, as told by Ann Faraday
John, my husband dreamed:
I have been invited to attend an international banquet at the White House, and the ceremony begins with President Nixon's own party standing round him singing, 'Hail to the Chief,' while the President puts on an air of mock modesty. Then as we walk down the corridor to the banqueting room, my arm is grasped by the President who gasps, "You've got to help me, John. Stand in front of me, please, and make sure the others don't see..." whereupon he proceeds to blow his nose loudly and messily on the curtains.The events of the previous day had been nothing out of the ordinary--in fact, John had not ventured outside the house, nor had any visitors called. We had spent the day working on the book and had ended with a brief row, but nothing serious.Out of the corner of my eye, I see Premier Chou En-lai of the People's Republic of China and I think to myself that whatever mistakes Nixon may have made, he will always be remembered as the great integrator of East and West.
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John Wren-Lewis |
As John had not actually been invited to the White House, and as President Nixon did not figure literally in his life at the time, John had to ask whether Nixon stood for someone or something in his present life or as a part of his own personality. John's first association was that our house had just been painted white, so the dream drama obviously referred to something that had taken place within our own "white house." As we discussed the dream over breakfast, I gave a loud sneeze and blew my nose, which reminded John that I had, in fact, started a cold the previous day. There was no getting away from it--Nixon symbolized me! Having appeared as the Queen several times in John's dreams, I had to accept the possibility, but Nixon, I thought, was going a bit too far! Besides, I have never blown my nose on the curtains.
But by this time the whole dream was falling into place. John recalled how I had gone through some old mail the previous day in an effort to clear out some papers and had read out to him some fan letters before finally disposing of them. We had then worked and rounded off the day with a row in which, I admit, I behaved with less than dignity.
John's dream reflected his feeling about the day in beautiful picture language, by depicting "the President" surrounded by adoring fans all singing "Hail to the Chief," and then disgracing "himself" where only John could see. Obviously his waking mind had turned over, without his becoming consciously aware of it, the fantasy of what my fans would think if they knew what I was really like. "Don't tell them, John," he imagines me begging, "help me, please." But as he wallows in this secret satisfaction, he notices Chou En-lai, which reminds him that whatever mess I may make in private life, he still sees me as the great "integrator" of opposite viewpoints and conflicting theories in the world of dreams.
I appreciated this very much because now, whenever I am less than perfect in my daily life, I can say to John, "Remember Chou En-lai!"
SOURCE: The Dream Game, Ann Faraday, Harper & Row, 1976 ed.; pp 124-26. Passage untitled; 'Nixon and Chou' added to aid searches.
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