GRGR (5) PK

[rj]

Justin and Benjamin consider Jessica's role in things:

> 87.3 "What about the girls?"

> Jessica's insidious influence on Mexico, which Pointsman rightly 
> fears.
> (That old Ned's like some kinda mind-reader!)

But I get a sense that Pointsman is always sounding Roger out,
particularly in that section just before the dogcatcher episode where
Roger has a similar intuition. Remember, the Pointer will use Katje on
both Pudding and Slothrop, and despite Jessica's aversion to the good
doctor, he would just as likely try to enlist her in order to corner
Mexico if he had to.

Pointsman sees Mexico's statistics as the real danger to his vision and
master plan (not, in itself, inherently evil, I'd say. I don't think
Pointsman wants to rule the world, not personally at least, and he
probably is concerned to conclude the war successfully as the first
priority of his work, unlike Roszagvolji say. What Pointsman wants,
ultimately, is that the strict deterministic 'laws' of science take
their 'rightful' place in society, i.e. that they rule the world, rather
than the shabby old men like Pudding.)

Now Jessica, she's the fly in Roger's ointment. All probability tells
him that she's off to nest with Beaver after the war. His course of
action should be obvious. But he won't give it up. In order to sustain
his love he has to try to upset this unimpregnable statistical barrier
which is the root of everything he believes. The proof is there,
according to his epistemology, but still he refuses to accept it.
Pynchon, in the example of Roger, alludes to that quantum physics
loophole (Heisenberg? Bohr?) which says that the very act of observation
itself affects and alters the outcome of the experiment, I think.

Pointy isn't too worried about Mexico, because he can see the guy's all
caught up in lurv. But he is concerned about the idea/epistemology
Mexico stands for: true and total objectivity. Which, of course, is
unattainable. As Pynchon demonstrates.

best