MDMD(2): Deflation and Friendship flip-flop

[jporter]

E.A.W. finishes his very interesting post with:

>The bueaty of this scene for me is that Mason and Dixon share
>this inner, absurd flip-flop with each other quite openly. For:
>
>     "They are well on the other side of exaustion, and neither has
>       kept his defensive guard mann'd against the other.(...) At
>       least they are past that."

It is interesting, also, how well Pynchon uses their difference in *rank*
to allow them to get to this stage. Mason's authority provides him, inspite
of his melancholia and inward concerns, "a cover", in the early going,
allowing him to face Dixon and Dixon's more open nature, until he is able
to open up himself.

But the incident with l'Grand  seems to be the key. Was it chance? Is
Pynchon saying that inspite of the completely unpredictable slings and
arrows of fortune, alluded to by Chris, life, ever the opportunist, is able
to salvage something from the jaws, and put it to her own uses?

Although certainly not a *cute meet* ala Roger and Jess, the evolution of
this  relationship seems also to have exploited the threat of something
external and thematically sinister, and likewise to have left us, poor
readers, once again wondering about cause and effect.

jody