Recurring characters

[Andrew Dinn]

Bonnie Surfus writes:

> Recurchar le femme.  V. is a character that finds expression in, I think, 
> all of Pynchon's work...

Recur char indeed. V for Virgin (Mary of Chartres), V fuer Vergeltungs
Waffen, Vernichtungs & Verwandlung(sinhalt), Venus (by the Vestern
Vall), Vincentio (Merciful of Vienna), Veronica, Vond, Vineland, V for
OR. As opposed to (and I do mean opposed, as well as opposite) A for
Archangel (Michael of Mont St Michel), A for A4, Annihilation &
Absolution, Apollo (amazing that progression from Atlas through Titan,
Saturn, Mercury then finally it's Apollo who gets to colonise the
white goddess Selene - can't wait for that final appearance rising
majestic in the East as Dionysus, Lord of Miss Rule), Angelo (Mortal
of Vienna), The Angel (the Windmill) Atman (the Wind), America, A for
AND.


> Also, in "Low-lands," Dennis Flange 
> calls up "Wasp and Winsome," and I don't recall any other mention of 
> either, but Mafia Winsome makes her presence heard in _V._

And don't forget Fu's Folly floating around somewhere near to Dumpster
Villard's resiny excretions in that Roseland Ballroom scene.

> Hasn't someone done this in publication?  Does Weisenberger's text 
> illuminate?  I guess not specifically so.  Anyhow, hope this helps.

I think Pierre Yves Petillon mentions some of the recurrences of Vs
and As in his entry in the `New Essays on the Crying of Lot 49'
collection. He gave another set of V/A pairings in the essay he read
at the Warwick conference. I don't know of anyone publishing anything
on Vs or other favoured characters except yours truly in this very
medium.


Andrew Dinn
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