GRGR(4)Question about Slothrop going under

[David Morris]

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-pynchon-l at waste.org [mailto:owner-pynchon-l at waste.org]On
Behalf Of
Sent: Monday, June 28, 1999 9:45 AM
To: pynchon-l at waste.org
Subject: Re: GRGR(4)Question about Slothrop going under

>From ?:
>>Hello
>>I have been trying to find a post not too long ago where
>>one of you sage listers made some sense out of the need
>>for Psychological testing to uncover Race relations
>>problems, and how does Pynchon tie this into anything
>>having to do with Slothrop, bombs and the war. Perhaps he
>>isn't. To me, race relations doesn't seem pertinent, except
>>in a way that blacks being treated poorly in this country
>>might make blacks not want to enlist in the service.

>"And Black Wing has even found an American, a Lieutenant Slothrop,
>willing to go under light narcosis to help illuminate racial
>problems in his own country." (pg.75)
>
>Tom Hickey:
>All of this in order to formulate Black Wing's propoganda
>(filmed images of "fraudulent African rocket troops") aimed
>at demoralizing the "German Beast".[snip]

Well, yes & no.  The quote above is written almost as a news brief, or maybe
the story they fed Slothrop to get him to agree to go under.  PISCES has
been interested in Slothrop for a long time for OTHER reasons.  They want to
know what makes him tick.  Race relations fears may be a part of his
"mechanism," or maybe not.  They are definitely a major part of GR.