Page 63 - The Irony Board

Into the Body

Devil may care,
Or he may not;
That’s the kind of
Caring he’s got.

Figures of speech roll off the tongue; how much more interesting
to let them roll through the mind: where do they come from, what
do they imply, how can they be used? Gluckman played with such
minimal word conjunctions reflexively, amused and inspired by the
associations their uncontrolled consideration dredged out of his
unconscious. Perhaps “devil-may-care” means no more than
reckless, that only an evil deity could be concerned with a doomed
course of action; but I see further possibilities.
The devil is popularly seen as a trickster as well as a
straightforward miscreant; he plays with his victims, making them
believe the path he leads them down does not end in a cleverly
concealed pit. His caring is not constant; it lasts only as long as is
needed to spring the trap. This sense of “devil-may-care” is contrary
to the commonplace interpretation given above; here the
questionable caring is given to those who are not reckless, but
whose misplaced faith leads them to disaster.
Another reading equates deviltry with inconsistency, definitely a
human trait, as well. Since a known enemy is generally conceded to
be easier to deal with than a hidden one, the trickster is a nastier
character than the unwavering villain, who can be gotten around by
our own cleverness. Caring is an attribute of the closest affection
and responsibility; to be unreliable in this most vital and basic trust
is truly the work of a devil.

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