GRGR1: Discussion opener for section 1

[Joe Varo]

On Fri, 20 Sep 1996, Stephen Brown wrote:

> >6)  What exactly are all those bananas about?
> 
> Bananas weren't available in the UK during WWII.  They returned in
> 1946, when a 3 year old girl died after eating 4 of them.
> 
> The banana feast/orgy is heaven after Prentice's vision/premonition
> of hell.  Also (natch) the curved trajectory of death.

Ahh....okay.  Now compare that to: "Osbie Feel stands in the minstrels'
gallery, holding one of the biggest of Pirate's bananas so that is
protrudes out the fly of his striped pajama bottoms -- stroking with his
other hand the great jaundiced curve against in triplets against 4'4
toward the ceiling...".

So the banana is a symbol of the curved trajectory and also a
foreshadowing of Slothrop's penis which foreshadow the V-2 strikes.

By the way, what is "triplets against 4'4"?

Joe