GRGR(17) Hauptstufe (380.18)

[David Morris]

>From: "Seb Thirlway" <
>Nice post.  Working on GRGR23 (provisionally entitled "What's
>happened to Slothrop?") I was trying to figure out what goes
>"wrong" with the novel at this point - more precisely, when Greta
>Erdmann appears, and wondering what had happened.  Thinking along
>the lines of something about Greta that might have this effect on
>Slothrop and thus the novel.

>From my perspective, Greta seems to have been planted.  Slothrop wakes up 
after being poked with the needle, and there she is.  Does she do permanent 
damage?  Well, [Spoiler here, but so is all about Greta] she does lead him 
to the Anubis.  And that is where Slothrop begins to lose his temporal 
bandwidth (509.1).  I think a Freudian take here may be in order, but that 
won't come from me.

As for this loss of Slothrop's personal density/temporal bandwidth, if it is 
coincidental with "Brennschluss," this metaphor needs to be more fully 
explored.  It may prove ripe, or not.  Let's see...

>But I think you've picked up a
>better explanation.  After all, Greta doesn't exactly burst in on
>the novel as a major character does she?  Of all the characters
>she seems the least likely to play an active part in events.  But
>she demands, and Slothrop submits (and this power relationship is
>very nicely the _opposite_ of their sexual game) - almost
>becoming domesticated for a while.
>I never thought of applying the rainbow metaphor to the novel as
>a whole

I don't think Greta can be so easily dismissed.  Are you implying she is 
only incidental, not instrumental?

>but now you mention it is makes perfect sense - TRP is a
>virtuoso obviously enjoying himself in GR, and this form seems
>like just the sort of thing he might throw in as part of the fun.
>Picking up on someone else's point about Brennschluss: yes, the
>rocket goes on climbing for a while, but quickly decelerates and
>starts to fall.  So this point would be Brennschluss for
>Slothrop - he goes on wriggling for a while, alive and kicking,
>and starts to fall not at this point but a little later
>(Tchitchy's musings on Slothrop's Amytal session are the first
>indication we get that Slothrop might not be that important - not
>in fact driven or monomaniac enough to get to where we want him
>to get to).

Where do YOU want him to go?  What leads you to think that, in the end, such 
a personality is what is needed to transcend?  I've always thought 
Slothrop's greatest strength is his ability to "Be Here Now," to not think 
ahead, to not worry about death, just to "be natural."

>I get a feeling that Slothrop's progress from here
>to Swinemunde is very well written (and possibly, deliberately)
>as fitting exactly with the notion of someone still rising, but
>no longer under power.  Can't prove this but if I had the time
>I'd dig out examples.  I'd put the highest point of the arc at
>Slothrop's meeting with der Springer.

I'd like to see this further developed, but there's no hurry.  Right now I'm 
enjoying Slothrop's Vodka-Molotav's with the ostrich-feather wicks.

David Morris
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