Did Bear do Part of the Paper? Sounds like it.

[Randall Flagg]

Three things supporting thesis.

Douglas's dissertation was totally different from the first one prepared for Union.

Bear seems to have been willing to do anything to get a doctorate for Douglas.

Douglas obviously lacks the ability to do doctoral quality work.



One thing opposing thesis:

The research and dissertation were pretty simple, below the quality of work expected from Bear so it may have been Douglas.

All good points, Ben.  To the opposing point thesis. It is pretty easy for a smart man to dumb down something but it is hard as hell to be smarter than you really are. I doubt Bear would risk doing much of it. As you say Bear is a smart man. He, more than most, would know the limitations that Douglas has and displays every time he opens his mouth.  I believe he would deliberately not try to make major changes and adjustments to the work that would reflect too much skill. I think he just helped enough to make sure that the paper was presentable and would pass a minimum level.  At least that's my idea how it could be simple and basic and still have Bear paw prints all over it.

It's like a parent helping a kid write a term paper. It has to be good enough to pass without showing skills beyond the student's abilities. You want just enough but not too much, and, in this particular case, the Douglas doctorate, that is just what we have.  We are at the upper end of Douglas's skills and the bottom end of Bear's.