TRP/Sexism/Film

[Bonnie Surfus (ENG)]

Jim says:

Sometimes there exists a
tendency to confuse the use of sexual stereotypes (of which there are
many in the corpus) with sexism per se.       

I agree.  This may be dangerous, but I feel like a person as intelligent 
and careful and attentive as Pynchon can only appear sexist if read 
without consideration of the satirical force of his representations of 
the sexes.  Most here know of my thoughts on P's work and his concern for 
the Goddess and her associations--poetic langague, art, unmitigated 
earth, the animated, mystery, etc.  We've debated the notion of Pynchon's 
work as "a guy thing."   I still say Pynchon's work should be read by 
more women, at least, I suggest it to my female friends, particularly to 
good ones.  One way to ascertain power is to recognize the opposition.  
It is not men.  Men contribute to a larger ideological orientation that 
favors imperialistic tendencies to dominate, which, in P's work, often 
manifests in the s-m we find so frequently.  Naturally, we look to the 
construction of the bomb and its deployment by a patriarchal heirarchy 
that is "driven by certain secret lusts that drive the planet and those 
who use her" (GR).
Female victim, male killer.  But still, the "enemy" is not necessarily 
men, for they are indoctrinated into a system of hatred and killing that 
began, I maintain, when warring male tribes of began to destroy agrarian 
societies that flourished in the Neolithic age.  These societies 
worhipped female dieties despite the gender-neutral structure of power 
negotiations among the people.  Women were simply revered for the ability 
to animate, an ability that perpetually confounds Profane, in the one 
direction, and motivates Stencil, in the other.  

I could go on and on about satirical representations of gender 
differences and shifts in power and the harm they impose, but it's late 
and there is too much to say.  I simply want to suggest that what many 
read as "sexism" is maybe more like a difficult, fractured, reconfigured 
present that has sufferred at the hands of a system that started to gain 
ground when the Goddess began to take blows at the hands of male 
aggression.  Any complicit in that system's dynamics encouraged its 
growth and perpetuation and so women are indicted often, but it's 
important to consider these women very carefully.  I'm still working on 
it, ever since my colleague attempted to calm me down one day by 
suggesting that "patriarchy" does not mean ONLY "male-dominated," but 
much more.  This has broadened my understanding of Pynchon's satire.  I 
hope it offers something here.

Good night.

bls