GRGR(25) - Trees

[HenryMu]

Pynchon's trees "slaughtered" for paper (have you ever smelt the stink of a
paper mill; worse than a slaughterhouse) is part of his presentation of The
Book's (GR and Pavolov's) physicality.

Keep cool, but care.

AsB4,

HMus Scuff
ICQ #30741850

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----- Original Message -----
From: "David Morris" <fqmorris at hotmail.com>
To: <pynchon-l at waste.org>
Sent: Monday, April 24, 2000 11:25 PM
Subject: GRGR(25) - Trees


> ---------
> (552.38)
> Trees, now - Slothrop's intensely alert to trees, finally.  When he comes
in
> among trees he will spend time touching them, studying them, sitting very
> quietly near them and understanding that each tree is a creature, carrying
> on its individual life, aware of what's happening around it, not just some
> hunk of wood to be cut down.  Slothrop's family actually made its money
> killing trees [for PAPER!][...] "That's really insane."
> ----------
>
> Of course Pynchon knows that the well-worn book I'm now reading, in fact
ALL
> the books he's ever sold, are made of PAPER!  So what's an author-moralist
> to do?  How can one justify killing an helpless sentient being, worse,
> thousands of such beings, especially for a payment made of PAPER-money
(more
> tree killing!!!)?
>
> Joeseph Campbell wrote about the origins of the animal-religions of early
> civilizations.  He reasoned such religions arose from the need for a
> reconciliation/justification within the heart of a "conscious killer.(my
> term)," meaning killing done by one who recognizes "himself" within the
> visage of his intended victim.  The rituals of these religions arise as a
> propitiation to the spirit one is killing, an apology for the necessary
> evil.
>
> In these chapters we find Slothrop becoming more and more a "Mr. Natural,"
a
> spiritual medium attuned to the Earth's frequencies.  In this way I do
> believe kai has struck.  Slothrop is a throwback to William Slothrop's
fork
> in the road America rejected.  Reconciliation with the Earth, with the
> necessary evil required by survival.
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