Pynchon the gentle sadomasochist

[Paul Mackin]

Several times recently the following (and similar type) quotes from
McHale's "Modernist Reading, Post-Modern Text: The Case of Gravity's
Rainbow" have been discussed here. 

"Pynchon's reader has every right to feel conned, bullied, 
betrayed. Indeed, these reponses are the essense of the aesthetic effect
of Gravity's Rainbow."

I'm getting used to the words through repitition so they don't quite have
the same shock effect as the first time I read them. Nevertheless I still
have trouble reconciling the force of the verbal adjectives used with
writing which inspite of the often express cruelty and grisliness of
subject matter has always struck me as essentially playful with regard to
the relation between writer and reader. 

However, to get to the point, I have just read the last chapter of
McHale's later book "Post Modernist Fiction" (1985) and have come to
appreciate that there may be connotations of "conned, bullied, and
betrayed" (or assaulted and agressivity) that may that may not be so
antithetical to me with regard to P's writing.

In discussing the use of the second person pronoun as a means of
violating the ontological boundaries between writer, reader, and
character, McHale comes to the conclusion that the actual subject
matter of the passages may be erotic love between the writer and
the reader (or text) including appropriate sadomasochistic accompaniments. 
So that's a little different, isn't it? I don't feel so bad
now. Handcuffs and whips may be the images I should be keeping in
mind but they are clearly only props.  Pynchon is my playful lover and
will do me no harm. 

Incidently McHale, in the second work, gives examples from other writers
of this kind of second person pronoun used in making metaleptic love, and
I am convinced that the examples for Pynchon are materially less
threatening than those for comparable writers.  Other writers address
you as bastard and pathetic. Never P. One of the examples from Pynchon was
that lovable "Is the baby smiling, or is it just gas? Which do you want it
to be?"

Other examples from GR are:

"When are you going to see it? Poinstman sees it immediately."

"She favors you, most of all. You'll never get to see her. So somebody has
to tell you."

(And finally that all important:)

"None of it was real before this moment: only elaborate theater to fool
you. But now the screen has gone dark, and there is absolutely no more
time left. The agents are here for you at last."

Poignant and spine tingling all but . . .

You had your way with me, Pynchon, but were gentle. My pain was only
pretended.


		P.