The Pyncher and Death

[Paul Mackin]

There was mention of Pynchon and death the other day but unfortunately it got deleted before I could comment. Clumsy me. Wanted to say however that Slothrop's reaction to Tantivy's death (that the poster mentioned),  and the resulting perception of the danger he himself is now in, is only THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG, since more importantly it is the whole figure of poor doomed preterite souls being passed over,  AS REITERATED THROUGHOUT THE BOOK, that is the author's full-blown "adult" acknowledgement of the power death has over life and the inextricable connection between death and life. Obvious point of course but leaving it unstated in the context of the discussion could be misunderstood and misleading.

			P.