Pynchon and Gaddis

[erik burns]

>

Richard writes:
>I'm about 3/4 of the way through The Recognitions and I've noticed one of 
>the major differences in Gaddis writing as compared to Pynchon's is that 
>Gaddis doesn't have a "Them"-much of his scorn is for simple human 
>stupidity and vanity-maybe that's why there is less of a poetical element 
>in The Recognitions as compared to GR.

I agree: the interesting difference between Gaddis and Pynchon is how the
"conspiracy" in TRecognitions is one of things against people...this is also
true in JR, later.  I seem to remember that many of the Gaddis characters
have trouble with ordinary human activities like opening doors ... more than
once, inanimate objects are described as "conspiring" against the characters.

In pynchon, of course, it has all become more sinister, with the recognition
that there is a *them* and *they're* out to get *us.*  perhaps the shift
parallels the 50s to 60s sudden realization of the military-industrial
complex and of the U.S.'s less than noble (and often hidden) foreign policy
efforts. I think pynchon was reacting more politically than Gaddis, whose
main targets were "merely" hypocrisy, vanity and ignorance. 

note, when Gaddis turned more political (in Carpenter's Gothic) I think his
writing stumbled. expect to get hashed for this opinion, because i have seen
many gunning for CG here on the list, but it just isn't up to the standards
of TR and JR.  (good enough, though, for a Gaddis starter course).

A Frolic... is less political and back to human foibles (remember the dog
stuck in the statue)

cheers, erik