Safe Sex is No Fun

[David L. Pelovitz]

From: Burgess, John <jburgess at usia.gov>

Richard:
>>Two questions:  How is Slothrop's sexual activity with Bianca not 
>>brutal-I mean how old is she?
>>
>>2nd question:  Doesn't Pudding die from his "life-affirming" 
>>appetites? e. coli poisoning?

>2. As others have noted in their replies to my original on this, for 
>Pudding, even shit is alive -- for Pudding.  That it propels him back to 
>a time when he was truly vital, every sense and nerve-ending alive, is, 
>for him, life affirming.  That it ultimately causes his death (that, at 
>least, is the supposition of other characters, though not actually stated 
>as fact) is a side-effect.  But then, I think I can safely say that we 
>all do/did things that made sense at the time, but didn't, in the long 
>run.
 
But the last we hear of Pudding is at the Gross Suckling party.
			
"Flames are leaping in the pit.  They are not 'sensitive falmes,'
but if they were they might be able now to detect the presence
of Brigadier Pudding.  He is now a member of the Counterforce,
courtesy of Carroll Eventyr.  Courtesy is right.  Seances with
Pudding are at least as trying as the old Weekly Briefings back
at "The White visitation."  Pudding has even more of a mouth on
him than he did alive." (GR, 715)

Like so many Pynchon characters, it is hard to say Pudding
died.  Not only does he talk more now, but he's now a 
member of the Counterforce and maybe even more useful than
he was when under Pointsman control.  The sexual act which
"kills" him may have freed him.
		
David Pelovitz - dqp5805 at is.nyu.edu