mother quest

[Paul Mackin]

On Wed, 28 Feb 1996, Bonnie Surfus (ENG) wrote:

> On Pynchon and DFW:  have you noticed Wallace's use of 
> shadow and light?  It plays like it does in GR--all shadowy lattice work 
> here and there.  It's interesting and kind of erie.  And did you catch 
> that not-so-subtle nod to "V."?

Yes, from the start, p. 1 of IF, where spidery Arizona noon light
strikes the conference table. Occurs throughout in both authors. At the
lowest level it can be a convenient device to stop action for a
moment, like lighting a pipe or cleaning your glasses, but isn't it
often (always?) much more? Suggesting gulfs to be bridged or
something like that maybe. That's a trivial way of putting it.

Of course the light sources can be artificial as well as natural.
I'm near the point in IF where important action takes place in 
the administrative office of the tennis academy. Much is made of
lamp light--coming from the inner offices and stopping just outside
in the waiting room where boys and girls are waiting anxiously
to be dealt with for major infractions.

Light play may be at its most exaggerated in the Walpurgisnacht scenes
in both P. and W. Actually _recurring scenes_ in IF, which in my mind
can only be a deliberate tribute to the older by the younger author.
Interestingly, it is in _these_ scenes that the Vs begin to pop up, don't
they. In fact the pendantive Vs are themselves a shadow effect. Not quite
a conincidence, eh?

Seems to me the opportunity to compare these two talented authors
is too good to pass up--even though this is the Pynchon, not the
Wallace, list. The two seem so alike in some ways and so different in
others, as continues to be pointed out in recent postings.

				P