Drugs in Pynchon's fiction

[rj]

Doug Millison <millison at online-journalist.com>:

>  I see your point, technically there is no textual evidence to support my
> tarring the sterling CAMP name with the Nazi label. But, they're led by a
> Nazi, that's for sure. If TRP didn't want to give a Nazi/neo-Nazi flavor to
> CAMP I imagine he would have created a different character to lead this
> band.

Sarcasm aside, it's ol' Ronnie Raygun and his cronies, all along, who're
pulling the strings, isn't it? Nothing to do with Nazis.

> Somebody who knows his politics better than I do might answer whether or
> not we can consider Rilke a fascist or Nazi.

Wha? Your question was whether Nazis or fascists (Blicero in particular)
were ever associated with anything "good" in Pynchon's fiction. I'm
simply noting that Blicero is associated with Rilke's poetry (and also
with Christianity for that matter.)

> Zoyd is a likeable character, demonstrating many good qualities despite his
> many faults and shortcomings. When all is said and done,  he is a good
> father to Prairie, a loyal friend to Frenesi, a person who keeps the 60s
> counter-culture values alive in the face of violent repression.

I like Zoyd too, and I agree, but I suspect that even Zoyd feels regret
for some of his own past excesses at various moments in the narrative.
He wasn't *always* such a good father, or loyal, as we see.

best