pynchon's misogyny

[matthew.percy at utoronto.ca]

Well, I think what everyone is talking about here is "irony" and "ironic
distance", in the sense that Greg assumes that by depicting "racism", Twain
manages to undercut and remind the reader of racism's status as a 
"learned/acquired " phenomenon.  Which is true, for some members of Twain's
audience.  However, for other members of the readership (certainly the 
experience of  an African-American reading Twain),  experience of that 
irony would be profoundly different (i.e. you'd probably see the racist 
side of the text alot more clearly).  This leads us to Greg's point that 
"this is what the ability to READ A NOVEL is all about"- is this to say 
that there is a correct, right way of reading a novel (i.e. gauging its 
meaning).  Personally, I prefer the notion that there can be numerous, 
heterogeneic readings of texts (and of "meaning").  In a sense, Twain is 
both racist and not-racist at the same time, and I think that you have to 
try and remember this as a reader/critic (which to me is the essence of 
"political correctness" - remembering the limitations of our own 
(western) epistemology) so as not fall into the  trap of a binary 
position and participate in a racist traditon of ignoring the concerns of 
other peoples and races.  So naturally, I 'm going to get a little 
concerned when Jules  jokes about everyone needing to "get a sense of 
humor", because "whose" sense of humor is Jules talking about?  There's 
not exactly a universal standard for humor (anymore than there is a 
universal standard for reading a text)- and you've got to remember that 
this humor/sensibility can be profoundly offensive to other people.  I think 
its safe to assume that my comments 
regarding Twain are analogous for Pynchon (and his treatment of women).  
At least, I hope they are.  
I realize this point has been belabored to 
death by now, but I still think it's important to consider...

- matt
On Thu, 31 Oct 1996, Greg Montalbano wrote:

> Indeed.  This is what the ability to READ A NOVEL is all about ... something
> that the folks who want to ban (for example) HUCK FINN from school libraries
> because it's "racism is detrimental to the students' self-esteem" completely
> fail to understand.
> 
> 
> 
> >
> >        I would like to agree with the criticism of Kaeppler's work
> >regarding Pynchon's misogyny.  Pynchon's use of pronography(and depictions
> >of sex in general) have a lot more to do with illustrations of perversions
> >of power (Blicero and Katja), with dehumanisation (V. in Paris and South
> >Africa) and with parody of Hollywood-stupid ideas about romance (Roger and
> >Jess).
> >
> >        Most academic writers who do this kind of thing ignore the detailed,
> >historically contextual criticism which reall;y gets iunto what a work is.
> >Regarding Pynchon, close readings-- the dirty work of looking at allusions,
> >context and detail-- reveals texts which are extraordinarily critical of
> >almost everything that the author's cultural origins stand for (oppression
> >of various non-white, non-male "others," mechanisation of non-mechanical
> >things and ideas, narcissism of Americans and colonial powers, etc).