Oedipa, again

[Bonnie Surfus (ENG)]

On Mon, 8 May 1995, Don.Lloyd wrote:

> I've always considered the ending of _Lot 49_ to be similar to
> that in _V._ (the one before the Epilogue).  The _V._ ending is
> ambiguous because we don't know whether to feel hope or despair
> for Profane as the lights in Valletta are all suddenly extinguished
> and he and Brenda continue to run anyway down the road "toward the
> edge of Malta, and the Mediterranian beyond" (455, paperback).
> 
> So we don't know what happens to Oedipa either or which of her
> "symmetrical four" alternatives (if any) will pan out (171).
> What we do know is that she has found "the courage you find you have
> when there is nothing more to lose" (182).  Can it be that TRP
> is telling us quite bluntly that the ending is not important but
> that how you understand and face that ending are?  This is how
> I always took it, and it makes Oedipa, and the book, a favorite for
> me.  (Although you might say I have four different favorites, all
> for different reasons.)
> 
> 
I like this.  I'm also glad to see this discussion, cause I was sort of 
wondering myself.  I agree with Don, in a way.  But I'll just add this:  
The ending is important.  The ending is one gigantic invitation to the 
reader.  If she/he hasn't truly engaged in the attempt to solve the 
mystery, which requires truly reading, then this is the point wherein the 
reader can come on in.  What's so funny is how at this point, the 
mystery's been solved.  No, not really--we still have questions.  But 
most readers are QUITE  happy to know what is meant by _The Crying of Lot 
49_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~BHk^l>W+asv
I didn't have much concern over the Tristero, W.A.S.T.E., Oedipa, or 
anything else.  Just to have had the meaning revealed was enough.  It's 
almost like the FORTY MILLION FUR-HENCHMEN CAN NOT BE ROWING thing that 
was all set up just to lead to that moment of recognition.  I could now 
say to those who'd not read the book, "oh, I can't tell you what the 
title means--you have to read it for yourself," and there I am, no more 
knowledgeable than anyone else, except for that title and its immeiate 
referent.

That's enough of that.  I'm going to try to lay low for a while.  I'm 
taking my doctoral exams at the end of June and rilly need to, like, 
study.  Wish me luck.

Bonnie