GRGR (15): Good & Evil (was Enzian...)

[Tim Thomas]

----- Original Message -----
From: Peter Petto <ppetto at apk.net>

> I would not assume that because someone does something, they believe it is
> right. (And there may have been many Nazis who believed their actions were
> moral.)

I agree, however I was speaking in terms of the 'total social phenomenon"
rather than individual beliefs.

> I believe that these "alternative moralities" are both social analogies to
> the cruelty and evils of WW2, and the well from which it erupted.

Well they are certainly social analogies to the circumstances of WWII,  but
thats the point isnt it - Pynchon is exploring the circumstances in which
different moralities emerge. Anthony Burgess made the point a long time ago
(and Terrance I think has mentioned it on the list) that the pornographies
in GR function as the only possible analogue for the horrors of war. But to
me this doesnt do full justice to the dynamics of the relationships and
circumstances in which they occur.
The thing that has begun to interest me (especially after Derek Maus' post,
and rj's followup) is the relationship between the Powers and the Victims in
GR. I dont believe GR is *simply* a moral critique of Nazism, Colonialism,
Science etc - ie: They are bad, let us go back to nature and love bruthas! -
as I said before, this is too simple, and it seems to me that it is assumed
that the reader already knows these things, we dont need to read a novel to
be told the Nazis are the bad guys, and if you want a prescription for moral
behaviour then read the bible.  In GR (and V) the Herero dont simply
function as an example of the evils of colonialism, instead the whole
dynamic is set up to explore the relationship between dominators and the
dominated. The whole S/M B/D thing keeps cropping up - between various
characters, and between whole groups of people, Germans-Herero, Nazis-Jews,
etc. Why? Is it the 'conditioning' theme again? Is it an exploration of
power dynamics? Is it a way of looking at the circumstances in which the
beliefs of people (morals) shift or are abandoned or become irrelevant? Is
Pynchon just making our stereotypical idea of Evil (the cartoon Marvy) more
ambiguous?

Cheers
Tim
ps: guess the choice of dress modern day Herero prefer on special occasions.
For men: a delightful ensemble based on the uniform of the colonial german
army. For women: a swirling gown more than slightly reminiscent of the
dresses worn by colonial wives. Why oh why?