TV v. God

[Thomas Eckhardt]

Doug wrote:

> In one deeply Christian sense, in the sort of Christianity practiced and
> preached by mystics such as Meister Eckhart (and his contemporary
> interpreters, including Matthew Fox) for example, there is no such thing as
> the "inanimate" because everything in our universe is part of God and is
> thereby "animated" by God's spirit.

The TV set at the beginning of COL49 is part of God and thereby animated by
God's spirit?

> Pynchon's universe is alive; even the technologies that humans seek to
> manipulate take on a sort of life (the Rocket).

"(...) Fausto's kind are alone with the task of living in a universe of things
which simply are, and cloaking that innate mindlessness with comfortable and
pious metaphor so that the 'practical half' of humanity may continue in the
Great Lie, confident that their machines, dwellings, streets and weather share
the same human motives, personal traits and fits of contrariness as they. (...)
It is the role of the poet, this 20th century. To lie." (V., 326)

This is a poetological statement which should have immense consequences for the
way we read Pynchon, the way we try to make sense of his metaphors, analogies
and kute korrespondences. Of course, the statement is not made by the implied
author but comes from a character. Nevertheless: Is it possible to reconcile
this passage with your claim that "Pynchon's universe is alive"?

Thomas