V.V.(1) Benny Oedipus

[s~Z]

If 'Benny' is a diminuitive of 'Benjamin,' this points to Jacob's youngest
son who was born as his mother Rachel died.* Before her death, she named him
'Benoni,' which means 'the son of my sorrow,' but Jacob renamed him
'Benjamin' which means 'the son of my right hand.' Pynchon renames him
'Benny' which means 'son of my yo-yo hand.' No wonder Benny feels an
'invisible, umbi[b]lical tug' from Rachel. That he finds this tug arousing
is more than a bit profane.

*And they journeyed from Bethel; and there was but a little way to come to
Ephrath: and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labour. And it came to pass,
when she was in hard labour, that the midwife said unto her, Fear not; thou
shalt have this son also. And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing,
(for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him
Benjamin. And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is
Bethlehem. And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave: that is the pillar of
Rachel's grave unto this day.     (KJV, Genesis 35: 16-20)