Sex & the Swastika

[Terrance F. Flaherty]

Henry Musikar wrote:
> 
> You must be right. Geli Raubal prolly never crossed Pynch's knowledgable
> mind. A-& think of all the other (even slightly) famous Gelis in history.
> Why theres...


Not many Gelis that Pynchon might be referencing here I'll
agree, but why this character? Clearly Tripping fits and she
is angelic or good whitchy, but how is she associated with
the mistress of evil incarnate? This is what is confusing.
The sexual practices of Pudding and Katje may reference
Hitler, but here again it doesn't make too much sense in
terms of the novel's plot, characterization, even themes and
how does Geli figure in?  

I think looking to names, half names, echoes or whatever is
called for, but I'm not sure how Geli fits this approach. If
by simply and only naming her Geli, then it  really wouldn't
or doesn't matter who Pynchon named Geli, we are to make a
connection to Hitler and Katje and Pudding, it seems that
Pynchon's naming of characters and the connections the
reader is to make are far to esoteric, far to tenuous, too
cryptic and vague. 

BTW, Richard Nixon's name change here, someone has written,
sorry can't remember at the moment, is apparently, a
deliberate reference to his physicality and speech. So
Pynchon's naming is very revealing and funny and worth
looking into.