White Dicks

[RICHARD ROMEO]

Mr. Dinerstein wrote:  "Pynchon's a late-breaking Beat writer, after all, 
and his generation of

postwar "cool" rebels

were out looking for a new version of manhood far from The [Vietnam]

War's or The Firm's.  They would find much that was cool  -- language,

music, body

movement, philosophy and bogosity -- in non-white ethnic male cultural 
styles

(esp. African-American and Native American). 

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I agree with most of this assessment.  But I think Pynchon  takes this a 
step further.  Sure the beats and others found "cool" (horrible word) 
things in other cultures but Pynchon shows the conflicts within these 
other cultures as well (e,g, Enzian and his conflicts with others in 
Schwarzcommando).

And don't forget Stencil. Jr's view of the WSC.

And don't forget the dude in Vineland who gives up his favorite 
possession, his car to prove his comaraderie with the "brothers".

 

Richard Romeo 

Coordinator of Cooperating Collections

The Foundation Center-NYC

212-807-2417

rromeo at fdncenter.org