Barth's Vineland

[Bonnie Surfus (ENG)]

I hope I'm not way behind everyone else in this, but I've been reading 
and doing some work on John Barth's _The Floating Opera_ and _The End of 
the Road_.  First, for my  interest in chaos theory, the FO is extrememly 
interesting, particularly as the metaphor is consistent (yes, I said 
"consistent") with one that Hayles uses in describing dissipative 
structures as a raft.  Details in _Chaos and Oder_.

Anyhow, what I'm writing about here is this 'Vineland" that appears in 
_The End of the Road_.  Jake Horner, the ersatz protagonist, is in 
"mobilization therapy."  for this, he goes to the Remobilization Farm, in 
Vineland.  For the duration of part of the novel, the farm is located 
there, but it also moves about, ever on the run from charges of quackery 
and possible malpractice suits.  One interesting feature of Horner is 
that when he's stressed, he often begins to sing "Pepsi Cola hits the 
spot, . . . (I forget the other couplet.) Horner's 
description--'couplets."  A funny elevation, in my view.  

I'm sure something has been done on this,a s Barth is a likely 
influence.  Still, it's new to me.  Can anyone point me toward some 
publications that address the connections?

Thanks.

Bonnie