globalization & Pynchon?

[Doug Millison]

I pointed to some specifics, cited them from Tim Ware's M&D index. M&D does
indeed mention specific corporations (East India Company; the companies
chartered to colonize and commercially exploit American colonies) and links
them to some bad shit (genocide, environmental destruction, etc.). The GR
material -- Pynchon's naming of specific corporations (Shell, IG Farben,
etc.) -- is hardly secret. Feel free to point to examples in M&D, GR, etc.
that counter what I've said if you'd like. It's clear to me, and to many
critics, that Pynchon does indeed present in his novels a rather savage
critique of corporations and what they do.  But I'd love to hear another
point of view regarding what he has to say about corporations. I don't have
my copies of the novels with me here, but I'll gladly respond if you want to
offer passages that you think support an argument that disagrees with what
I've said.

I don't deny that Pynchon goes after issues and concerns bigger than any
particular corporation or corporations in general, and yes he does seem to
call into question what it means to look for an Other to blame -- certainly
he has bigger fish to fry, as I mentioned in an earlier reply to a post by
cfa. And yet, at the same time, Pynchon does present some rather specific
material regarding specific corporations and specific bad shit they do. Some
of these are historical (in M&D, the East India Corporation; the chartered
company created by the Calverts to exploit Maryland, I think it is; IG
Farben, Shell, and others in GR), and some of them are fictional (the
Slothrop family corporation in GR; Lord Lepton's steel company in M&D).  He
offers a multi-layered view, and as readers we can respond to those various
levels.

You will in fact need to go to Pynchon for insight into his personal views
on corporations, his wife's company, his publisher, and the other questions
you raised in your earlier post.


Jane:
Well, when we can have some examples from the book, M&D or
any other Pynchon text we will be able to reply. Unless of
course, one  needs to go ask Pynchon on this to participate
in the discussion here Doug.