Discussion Tip Of The Day

[Paul Mackin]

It's not difficult to see what Thomas was getting at.

However my strategy would be: if one detects the voice of an "author" as
separate and distinct from that of a "character" the thing to remember is 
that this so called "author" is simply another "character" in the
piece and may be heeded or ignored by the reader in any way seen fit.

The actual author WILL have an "intent" but that's his problem, not
the reader's. (seems to me)

			P.


On Sun, 15 Oct 2000, Don Corathers wrote:

> Jasper's--
> 
> s~Z mighta been shuckin a little bit. Sometimes it's hard to tell with him.
> 
> And I sure wouldn't want to make a brief for a rigidly critical discussion of V. on this list, credentials required at the door. For one thing, they wouldn't let me in. But I think there's an important point in Thomas's observation--that it is useful to observe the distinction between the voice of the author and those of his characters. Seems kind of basic to me. 
> 
> Don
> 
> ----------
> From: 	Jasper's Selfhood[SMTP:lycidas2 at earthlink.net]
> Sent: 	Sunday, October 15, 2000 6:46 PM
> To: 	s~Z
> Cc: 	pynchon-l at waste.org
> Subject: 	Re: Discussion Tip Of The Day
> 
> 
> 
> s~Z wrote:
> > 
> > "The negligence of, for example, narrative mode or POV in favour of a 1 to 1
> > "The author says" or "The author tells us" approach has done a lot of harm
> > to list discussion in the past, IMHO."
> 
> And, another thing, it seems to me that this is impossible
> to avoid. IMHO this is not the problem. Sorry s-Z I usually
> agree with you on these matters, but here I must say, this
> idea of authorial intent or the didactic element of TRP's
> fiction is a  critical issue not a list issue. The harm done
> to the discussion here has little, IMHO, to do with this
> critical point of contention.
> 
> 
>