8'pus

[jporter]

hag is on the money. From my undergrad days in experimental psych, I recall
a whole series of learning experiments taking advantage of the octopus'
extraordinary intelligence (for an invertebrate), and equally as important
for discriminative learning experiments, their keen eyesight. Also known as
"devilfish" (American variety), they do reproduce sexually, but only one of
the eight tentacles in the males differentiates into a sexual organ. They
both pull themselves along with their tentacles, as well as, using "jet
propulsion" like the squids.

TRP really did his homework for the passages in GR relating to experimental
psych. His uses of the priciples of both classical (Pavlovian) and operant
(Skinnerian) conditioning are exquisite. The use of an octopus for the
conditioned attack on Katje is another example of his breadth of knowledge.
The allusion to a powerful and far-reaching organization offered by the
octopus image is just another reason to "dig" Pynchon.

I can't help wondering what it is about the number 8 which he seems to be
toying with. It comes up again in Vineland in the marathon "Crazy Eights"
game at the family reunion. Is there something fundamental about the number
8 for TRP?

Jody Porter