V. (Ch 3) Itinerary

[jbor]

Quite right, Paul. And to elicit the narration from what are only "veiled
references" Herbert assumes the eight identities ("impersonation and dream"
63.22). So what we get is third person narration which is filtered through
the point of view of the various characters Stencil has invented for the
purpose, something which is quite different from a traditional detached and
omniscient narrator. Otherwise the "story" would be much clearer. This
narrative filtering through his characters' psyches is a typical Pynchonian
technique. Except for section viii of course, where Stencil fancies himself
as a camera lens (which is, of course, a further extension of the general
method).

best

----------
>From: "Paul Mackin" <pmackin at clark.net>
>To: "Pynchon-L" <pynchon-l at waste.org>
>Subject: Re: V. (Ch 3) Itinerary
>Date: Tue, Nov 28, 2000, 12:22 AM
>

> Just to further split infinitives I thought the chapter introduction led us
> to believe it was Herbert himself who is "narrating" these imagined
> events--forcible dislocation of personality being his narrational technique.
>
> But who can really say.
>
>                     P.