MDMD(1): Plot Summary

[Matthew P Wiener]

>MDMD(1) Plot Summary

>Chapter 2: The Revd Wicks' story begins for real with a further
>confusion of levels, relaying the contents of the letters exchanged by
>way of opening salvo between Mason & Dixon. Dixon introduces himself
>as Mason's elected partner on their trip to observe the Transit of
>Venus in Sumatra. Mason, in Greenwich, posts a reply to Dixon in
>Bishop Auckland, down-playing the glowing opinions Dixon offers as to
>Mason's merits as an Astronomer. [...]

>Chapter 3: Wicks reveals that he has reconstructed the previous scene

According to one reference I found, both Mason and Dixon were working at
Greenwich at the time.  Similarly, the real Dixon had prior training and
expertise in astronomy.  Make your own call as to whether Pynchon has
taken artistic license with history, or Wicks is badly unreliable.  (I
shall point out other divergences when we get to them.)  Part of the fun
here is that the historical Dixon was given to humorous exaggeration.  For
example, he apparently spread the rumor while in the colonies that he was
born in a coal mine.

So perhaps Pynchon's Dixon bamboozled Wicks.

As a footnote to the zenith sector story, let me mention that the use of
such a precision instrument was what enabled Bradley to discover aberration
in the first place.
--
-Matthew P Wiener (weemba at sagi.wistar.upenn.edu)    If Apple owned
 NBC, they would sue Nike for comedy-interface copyright violation.