Unstructured abreaction

[Tod Mahony]

I've reached the part in GR where Slothrop has started to 'degenerate', in
Peenemunde.  Something about "personal density", and delta-t "considered as
a dependent variable".  It's all very confusing, with showgirls and band
members running around to distract the Russians.  What for does the
narrator address Der Springer every other time by his given name (vol
Goll)?  Was Greta (AKA Margherita/Gretel, Swinemunde child-murderess) dead
all along?  It seems Tyrone started "falling apart" after catching
something from her.  In Peenemunde Slothrop swaps uniforms with Tchicherine
(since the days with Katje in France he's been wearing other people's
clothes), who suggests that they exchange Schwarzphanomen instead, since
his is always trying to kill him.  Well I think they DO swap more than
outfits, considering the shit that hits the fan of events shortly
thereafter, when Sloth re-boards the Anubis.  Nobody recognizes him, a-and
he gets tortured by someone/something (Margherita/Greta/Gretel?) in the
blackout belowdecks, where he has to "face" what must be Bianca.  WHAT A
PASSAGE!  I had to re-read it.  Quotes around "face", because: Pynchon, the
fucker, knows that paranoia lives in the period of anticipation *between*
actual events: "When the lights come back on, Slothrop is on his knees,
breathing carefully.  He knows he will have to open his eyes.  The
compartment reeks now with suppressed light--with mortal possibilities for
light--as the body, in times of great sadness, will feel its real chances
for pain: real and terrible and only just under the threshold. . . ."  AHA!
 Right then I recognized this escalation of of fear, the self-perpetuating
disturbance that thrives on thought, guilt and inactivity.

Tod