Bill&Tom v. Scott&thePapa

[jporter]

It is proper that pynchon be considered influenced by Gaddis, given the
generational difference, but what are the broad commonalities? Some obvious
ones are- the Ivy League, a background steeped in Long Islang and New
England points of reference,  technical writing (speech and otherwise) for
large corporate interests, an approach to fiction which begs the label:
'encyclopedic,' and, while not virginal, at least a conscious concern with
the costs involved in selling out. There are others, but that's a start.

In their work, being late 20th century American white men, they also had to
deal with "The Literary Playing Field" as it, uh, reclined, when they began
reshaping it. This was obviously a larger problem for Gaddis, who had to
jump into the ring, while Hemingway was still vital...and it shows. Much of
THE RECOGNITIONS, involved as it is with uncovering earlier versions of our
palimpestic western culture, digs beneath- not just Christianity- but also,
the literary "cult of the bull." In THE RECOGNITIONS, Gaddis even takes on
Ernesto (or a manifestation thereof) directly in a humorous barroom
exchange...Ernesto doesn't even know he's lost.

The rarified atmosphere at the altitude Gaddis prefers to hover also
ensured that he would remain unread by the millions flocking to buy THE OLD
MAN AND THE SEA, but for the young pynch altitude was no problem. I can't
help but feel that Gaddis pioneered alternatives to "the cross and the
bull," at least among the cognoscenti, that made pynchon's entrance less
antagonistic.

Fitzgerald's role in this tag team match is more complicated.  His style is
too temptingly sweet not to have been imitated, especially by Pynchon.
(Gaddis seems more a child of Faulkner). But thematically- as young Tom
took the candy and hopped into the backseat of that sleek Fitzgeraldean
limo and his fanny sunk into that leather, I guess he remembered the copy
of THE GRAPES OF WRATH in his back pocket.

jp