Jacobean Tragedy

[Doug Millison]

Thanks, Tim,  for the quotes from _The Primal Curse: The Myth of Cain and
Abel_ --  "we enter a new and more sinister world, where evil is all
powerful, and where goodness, when it shines at all, flickers fitfully, only
to be
extinguished" is a good description, in my opinion, of Pynchon's work at its
darkest moments. I've posted before about what I believe are some optimistic
and redeeming elements that mitigate this vision somewhat.  One of them is
extra-textual, the simple fact that Pynchon manages to look into some of the
darkest corners of our world and continue to respond with astonishing
creativity and art, rather than give up in despair.  Inside his works, I
think we do see some instances of goodness -- the friendship that develops
between Mason and Dixon, for example, and the ability of Frenesi's family to
welcome her back in Vineland.  Even the darkest moment (my opinion) of GR,
Pokler's revelation into his own complicity in Nazi crimes, is redeemed at
least partially by Pokler's recognition (he learns something, instead of
continuing blindly on) and by his gesture of solidarity and support when he
puts his gold wedding ring on the woman's finger.  "Flickering fitfully" is
an apt description of the appearance of goodness in Pynchon's novels, but I
don't think it's completely extinguished.