Re. Warped and Distilled?

[calbert at pop.tiac.net]

> Yet Mlle. Vinteuil retrains a modicum of the good
> girl image her father had of her just as Frenesi retains some of the
> adoration of her betrayed comrades. In fact, Proust makes the point that
> a certain underlying goodness is essential to a satisfying pursuit of 
> evil.

Sorry, I meant to comment on this.

If Vineland cannot be commended on any other grounds (and I do not 
cleave to that conviction) it must surely be praised for this 
particular trick. Pynchon has created in Frenesi the image of the 
fickle, mercenary, irresponsible succubus - and yet who, among his 
readers and even his characters fails to fall for her. The most 
ambivalent response to Frenesi seems to be that of HER OWN daughter. 
To make the distaff side of this family the focus of both its good 
and bad qualities is evidence (to this simpleton, anyway) that 
Pynchon, in spite of the criticism of his handling of female 
characters and issues, has a very sober and respectful view of that 
sex. "They" are strong, competent, driven, and in the case of DL, 
positively dangerous. As such, I think these female characters 
represent a palapable evolution from Oedipa, who  , though not a 
weakling, seems to have less "volume".

And I still hear Astra's dignified speech from M& D. 
The man is a genius.

But then, I never DID take any comp lit.
love,
cfa