plots, victims and heroes

[Paul Mackin]

Seems to me Rob's point is essential to accurately identifying
what makes Pynchon Pynchon, at least up through GR. Don't look for 
conventional (strong) characterization. P. gets his effects in a different
way. It shouldn't be seen as a weakness IMHO. (Picasso could have painted
the most lifelike bull you ever did see, if he'd wanted to.)
There's no reason I can see to expect TRP's methods to remain static. In 
fact, they haven't. Who knows what will come from his pen the next time 
around.

				P.


On Tue, 20 Feb 1996, Robert Bruno wrote:

> This past weekend a friend told me that he found the characters of COL49 
> "cardboard," and after mulling it over, I couldn't help but agree with 
> him.  While I did get a multidimensional feel for the heroine of the novel, 
> any other characters were so two dimensional that I quickly forgot them.  
> 
> In an attempt to expand this argument, I will bring in 
> another book to show Pynchon's weakness in creating well-rounded 
> characters that one can empathize with.  I just finished reading Barth's 
> _The End of the Road_ which features a completely straightforward plot 
> involving a love triangle.  While this plot can't even hold a candle to COL49's 
> labyrinthian plot, you are presented with 3  fully realized characters.  The 
> personalities of each are so entwined that each one causes the other to 
> act in a certain way.  In other words, THE CHARACTERS DRIVE THE PLOT.  
> Further, you get to know these characters so well that you can figure out 
> how they will act in a given situation, and they not only determine the 
> climax of the book but in it reveal the duality of fate/free will.  
> 
> Pynchon's novels are just the opposite; most of the characters are swept 
> up in the plotline, or serve as devices to further expand the plot.  I'm not 
> saying this is wrong, and God knows that Pynchon is an amazingly talented 
> writer, but I really wish I could have cared more for Benny Profane, Stencil, 
> Slothrop, etc, and less for the shit's creek that they were paddling in.  
> 
> Of course, none of the above is a "doer" in any sense of the word; all of 
> those three stooges are victims: victims of love, paranoia and utter 
> hopelessness.  As such they are unable to drive the plot; they 
> can only follow the trajectory of their fate  or get lost in the vortex 
> of history.  Kinda like life...
> 
> Rob (aka splash)
> 
>