The Gnostic Pynchon

[Lorentzen / Nicklaus]

Terrance schrieb:

> Brief digression on that thorny topic of good and evil and
> the various "Gnostics" of GR. 
>
> If you get into gosticim in GR, you can't help but discuss
> good and evil: 
>
> First, Pynchon is a "Christian Gnostic" in this sense, he
> takes from all different texts and combines and mixes to
> make his own. 
>
> Second, Pynchon is Gnostic in the sense that I think Kai is
> speaking of  "literary gnostic." He exhibits an affinity
> with (though not a complete agreement with) those that
> reject standards, like rationalization, conventional
> ontology and ethics, science and technology, divine and
> secular authority. 
>
> Third, the "gnostic world", the evil anti-earth world, is
> THEIR world in GR. 
>
> Fourth, the "other side" is a "gnostic Limbo", where good
> and evil don't exist. That's why Geli, as good a character
> as we find in GR, fears the other side. 
>
> Fifth, GR presents the Modern world as  "existentially
> gnostic."
>
> sixth, Pynchon's mixes these and deviates in several
> important ways from the historical models, i.e. pleromatic
> realm, human responsibility for evil in the world.


  yes, this really opens up a door ... thank you ... we should keep this 
  plurality of dimensions in mind for the rest of our group read. 

 kai