V. (Ch 3) Itinerary

[Paul Mackin]

Yes the stain makes Hanne special among the observers--more truly connected
to the main story and V.  Hers of the 7 (?) is the only emotional attachment
with one of the principals--other than generalized hatred and resentment.  I
know that for her love must be but a word--but a word she still likes. She
is not the only European even, because there is the sephardic. But anyway,
yes, the synaesthesia is an important and satisfying enhancement to what
might have worn a bit repetitive.

                                        P.


----- Original Message -----
From: "jbor" <jbor at bigpond.com>
To: "Paul Mackin" <pmackin at clark.net>
Cc: <pynchon-l at waste.org>
Sent: Monday, November 27, 2000 4:20 PM
Subject: Re: V. (Ch 3) Itinerary


>
> I love the V-image of the stain which finally "swam somewhere over the
> crowd, like a tongue on Pentecost" for poor harried Hanne in Section vii.
> The synaesthesia of the stain being "the color of her headache" (90.4 up)
is
> something borrowed from one of Pynchon's mooted masters, V. Nabokov,
perhaps
> the archetypal synaesthete. Other artistic figures thought to have been
> "afflicted" by synaesthesia include Beethoven, Rimbaud, Kandinsky, Joyce
and
> David Hockney.
>
> See Richard E. Cytowic, _Synesthesia: A Union of the Senses_,
> Springer-Verlag, New York, 1989.
>
> 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, 6:46 AM
> >
>
> > A question: what's the significance of the smashing of Lepsius's blue
> > glasses? Hanne WANTS to smash them and Porpentine actually does--in
section
> > viii. Does this indicate some mysterious link between Hanne and
Porpentine.
> > In addition of course to the one between Herbert and Porpentine. Or is
Hanne
> > just generally fed up with men and politics? Questions, questions . . .