GW, hepcat

[davemarc]

> From: MASCARO at humnet.ucla.edu
> 
> It just seems clear to any thoughtful reading of the 
> scene that there is some subtle commentary woven into the style of GW's
>  persona.GW uses all sorts of terms and names in a silly or awkward
>  way--the pet names for Martha, the use of *my man* (which we
>  can easily hear w/ an awkward street inflection, ma mayn Gershom).
>   The messuginah mistake fits into this idea of quick portraiture, or
maybe
>  it's just an error.  The point is, like all great writing, Pynchon's
work
>  needs to be read and thought through, with lots of options considered,
>  before being dissed.
> 
Perhaps everyone knows this, but "my man Gershom" is also a play on the
movies "My Man Godfrey" (1936, 1957).  A family, taking Godfrey for a
tramp, hires him as a butler.  He teaches them all about "how to live." 
Based on a novel by Eric Hatch.

davemarc