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[David Morris]

>From: Mark Wright AIA Who is it that beats up Slothrop in the engine room?
>Do we know?  Is the episode a fantasy?
>Does it matter which?
>Mark

Mark,
Thanks for starting the ball rolling.

I don't think it's a fantasy any more than the rest of the text is a 
fantasy: since this is fiction, Pynchon constructs GR's own "reality" (also 
of course its own "fantasy").

That said, since I don't think this scene is a fantasy, "someone" would have 
to have "beat up" Slothrop, but I'd say the more operative description is 
"dominate."  Slothrop's life, and one arm, is left intact in order that he 
can be forced down into the deep dark bowels of the ship and smack-up 
against the small hanging body.  Presumably Bianca's,  but we never know for 
sure.  Who would want to force Slothrop to do so?  Maybe Bianca herself, the 
very powerful night-visioned presence which might be a ghost.  Who else 
would care?

Just a thought at this point, but very worthy of ferreting out.

David Morris
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