Coward-ice

[LARSSON at VAX1.Mankato.MSUS.EDU]

About jealousy.  In most of P's earlier works, the characters were simply
too alienated to be jealous/possessive (even Oedipa), but Roger I think
is something else.  

Henry M. writes:
"I don't need to read that passage again; practically have it burned
into my brain. As far as a worthy opponent/enemy goes, Beaver is
quite peripheral. That Roger wants Jessica back, doesn't sound like
jealousy to me. Jealousy is only for us mortals. Roger doesn't care
that Jessica is preggers with Beaver's baby. He wants her back so
desperately that he suffers Beaver's patronization, and even attends
that most dangerous of events, a dinner at which there are both the
woman that you love, and the man that she has (it seems badly)
chosen.
 
Saw an old movie the other day that reminded me a little of this. It
was in color with Cary Grant and Robert Mitchum. Grant was very
understanding of his wife falling in love with Mitchum,"


That movie is called THE GRASS IS ALWAYS GREENER and was written by Pynchon
bete noire Noel Coward.  Even as early as "Lowlands," Coward was the one
author TRP has singled out for scorn--note the loathing allusion to the
performances of BLITHE SPIRIT early on in GR as well.  

But it's an appropriate allusion.  Check out p. 709 (Viking ed.), as 
Roger takes lunch with Jeremy at the Gross Suckling:
"Who saves him (or interferes with his orgasm)?  Why, Jeremy himself.  Old
Beaver shows up and waves off the heat [ . . . ] and the romantic triangle
are suddenly all to have *lunch* together at the *Club.*  *Lunch* together?
Is this Nel Coward or some shit? [ . . . ]"

It's a wonderful scene, though (and anticipating a GRGR look at in a number
of months[!], consider Jessica's use of the word "Security" and the whole
set of priggish physical details that mark Jeremy as one of Their lower
orders.)  While I agree that Roger really wants Jessica too much to truly
hate Jeremy in an Othello-jealousy way, I wouldn't say that it's all the
frightfully civilized menage that you seem to imply above.

The dinner is Roger's last chance for Jessica--and one that he finally, 
willfully blows.

Don Larsson, Mankato State U (MN)