Waking the Braves

[andrew at cee.hw.ac.uk]

Mike Weaver writes:

> PS Could some kind and well read soul do me a favour and give me a
> br= ief run down on *Pynchon's polarities*.  There was, a couple of
> weeks ago, = some mention of something like TP presenting polarities
> as problematics (or = some other alliterative arrangement.)  Coz of
> particular intellectual obsess= ions of mine divided by a lack of
> access to literary academia I really would= like to know what the
> debate is around these areas and even simply what is m= eant by the
> terms.  Andrew D in the debate with John Mascaro recently mentio=
> ned polarities in a context with which I would like to have engaged
> but did= n't want to without a better understanding of the issues.

>From a posting of mine entitled `Re: Recurring characters' in the
archive for 5th May 1995:

    Bonnie Surfus writes:


    > Recurchar le femme.  V. is a character that finds expression in,
    I think, all of Pynchon's work...


    Recur char indeed. V for Virgin (Mary of Chartres), V fuer
    Vergeltungs Waffen, Vernichtungs & Verwandlung(sinhalt), Venus (by
    the Vestern Vall), Vincentio (Merciful of Vienna), Veronica, Vond,
    Vineland, V for OR. As opposed to (and I do mean opposed, as well
    as opposite) A for Archangel (Michael of Mont St Michel), A for
    A4, Annihilation & Absolution, Apollo (amazing that progression
    from Atlas through Titan, Saturn, Mercury then finally it's Apollo
    who gets to colonise the white goddess Selene - can't wait for
    that final appearance rising majestic in the East as Dionysus,
    Lord of Miss Rule), Angelo (Mortal of Vienna), The Angel (the
    Windmill) Atman (the Wind), America, A for AND.



Andrew Dinn
-----------
And though Earthliness forget you,
To the stilled Earth say:  I flow.
To the rushing water speak:  I am.