animals in M&D

[Terrance F. Flaherty]

Scott Badger wrote:

> 
> If I'm catching his drift, I agree with Terrance here, the LED, the Duck and
> also the Watch are the grails of our Age of Reason; artificial intelligence,
> the reduction of animate to the inanimate, perpetual motion &c.  Ironikal
> constructions that do, indeed, "belong with Dragons and Unicorns".
> 
> Scott


#2 Continued:  A Sea Gull, Alligators, a Community of
Saintly Rats, three dogs, a clock and a duck

Each of these examples-A gull, alligators, rats, from V.,
one Pavlovian dog from GR, two dogs (the LED and Snake from
M&D), and the clock(s) and duck, also from M&D--- involves,
distinctively curious constructions, some common and some
unique Pynchon themes and techniques and animals or
inanimate objects or abstractions (these run the full range
of human interests-Arts and Sciences) or some combination of
these, that are endowed with human qualities or are
represented as possessing human form.  

I say common, in that, for example, the LED and the Duck,
both found in M&D, are in one respect, satirical
metamorphoses, subversive of the  "Age of Reason." However,
the Duck and the LED are radically different in terms of the
above mentioned conditions. The Duck is a brilliant creation
that synthesizes Pynchon's stylistic genius, some consistent
interests and concerns (most apparent in "TSI", "V." and "Is
it O.K to be a Luddite"), and in my opinion, has much more
in common with Alfonso, Frankenstein's creature, "the
Badass," "the golem" and by extension Barrington, V, and
Slothrop, than the LED.  


" 'Twas his own Hubris,--the old mad Philosopher story, we
all know, meddl'd where he shouldn't have, till laws of the
unforeseen engaged,"  M&D.373

TBC
I'll return as time permits to Benny Profane, rats,
alligators, elephants, Ducks, and Angels.

"if Angels be the next higher being from Man, perhaps the
Duck had 'morphos'd into some Anatine Equivalent, acting as
my Guardian,--purely as an Angel might
"  M&D.379

THE BLUE ANGEL
Allen Ginsberg, Dream, Patterson, Mid-1950

Marlene Dietrich is singing a lament
For mechanical love.
She leans against a mortarboard tree
On a plateau by the seashore.

She's a life sized toy,
The doll of eternity:
Her hair is shaped like an abstract hat
Made out of white steel.

Her face is powdered, whitewashed and
Immobile like a robot.
Jutting out of her temple, by an eye, 
Is a little white key.

She gazes through dull blue pupils
Set in the whites of her eyes.
She closes them and the key
Turns by itself.

She opens her eyes, and they're blank
Like a statues in a museum.
Her machine begins to move, the key turns
Again, her eyes change, she sings

--you'd think I would have thought a plan
to end the inner grind, 
but  not till I have found a man
to occupy my mind.