Corroboration for Doug (was Re: Sanders ...

[Doug Millison]

I just asked the question, feel free to answer, or not. 

It's instructive, perhaps, to quote Pynchon's letter again, when he says, "I
was thinking of the 1904 campaign as a sort of dress rehearsal for what
later happened to the Jews in the '30's and '40's." Clearly, Pynchon makes a
connection between the Herero genocide in Africa and the genocide of the
Jews in WWII.

I've never argued "that Pynchon only depicts Herero history as a metaphor
for the Holocaust" -- such would be "jbor's" fiction/revision/deconstruction
of what I've actually said.  (For somebody who squeals so loudly when he/she
thinks people are putting words in his/her mouth, "jbor" sure doesn't
hesitate to do the same, in virtually every post). To the contrary, I've
consistently argued that Pynchon successfully avoids using these unfortunate
victims of genocide as mere metaphors, and in earlier discussions I've
pointed to a Pynchon Notes article that makes that very same point with
regard to Pynchon's Holocaust allegory in GR (that phrase comes from the
author of that PN article, not my construction).

If "jbor" is certain he/she knows precisely what Pynchon thinks when he says
"the thing goes much deeper" (deeper than what Pynchon has to say in the
letter, obviously), he/she should enlighten us. Pynchon says he's only
giving it superficial treatment in this letter (as he sketches the outline
of a complex set of issues involving McLuhan, comparitive religion, Herero,
Jew, etc. but refrains from going deeper) -- but if "jbor" knows what
Pynchon really means, please share that insight. I don't pretend to be able
to read Pynchon's mind. 


" jbor"
No, *you're* suggesting that I'm suggesting that, Doug. This would only be
the case if I held with *your* contention that Pynchon only depicts Herero
history as a metaphor for the Holocaust.
... you're simply
unable to accept what it is Pynchon thinks "the thing goes much deeper"
[sic]




Doug Millison, Senior Editor
Knowledge Management magazine
(415) 348-3054
DougMillison at ftmg.net
www.destinationKM.com