GRGR(5): note on Katje

[Doug Millison]

At 5:28 AM -0700 7/13/99, Michael Perez wrote:
[snip]
>I think, though, with a little thought to the time _GR_ was written,
>part of the point of the book could have been that the "Good War" had
>not been so good after all.

Just for fun, try on the idea that in GR Pynchon might really be writing
about the Vietnam War instead of (or, along with) WWII and see how that
might change the reading of the text.  Among other things, the cloak and
dagger skullduggery and Pointsman's experimentation on Slothrop (and other
victims) begins to make more -- or a different kind of -- sense when viewed
through the lens of what the CIA did in the "post-War" (ironic phrase in a
Pynchonian context) period leading up to and through the U.S. war in
Vietnam, especially regarding mind control and psychedelic drug
experimentation on unwitting suspects, destablizing governments in
Guatamala (and many other places, including Vietnam itself of course; the
U.S., maybe, if it's true that the CIA was involved in JFK's
assassination), & etc.

Hearing a radio obituary of Helen Forrest that included her rendition of
"All the things you are" with Artie Shaw and his Orchestra yesterday
afternoon reminded me that one of GR's several great accomplishments is how
it represents an achingly detailed recreation of the world in which TRP
lived as a child (complete with all the creepy details -- added with the
benefit of hindsight -- to explain why the shadows seemed so scary), and at
the same time such a telling picture of America in the '60s. A singular
accomplishment, I might be tempted to say, if TRP hadn't done it again so
well in Mason, where we get the '60s (Mason & Dixon's trip) and the '80s
(Cherrycoke's retelling of it). Vineland is of course equally telling,
although perhaps not so sweet, regarding the '60s and '80s.

Nothing like COL49 for a concentrated view of the sheer terror of the 60s,
without the historical novel apparatus, of course -- be sure to get the
upcoming issue of _Pynchon Notes_ and read  Charles Hollander's eye-opening
"Pynchon, JFK and the CIA: Magic Eye Views of The Crying of Lot 49." You'll
be glad you did.

I'm off to China for a few weeks. See you all next month, assuming I get back.

Have fun,
Doug


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