paranoia: 12 kinds in P's fiction

[wood jim]

 "Although some of the critical writings about Pynchon
have focused on his paranoia, they are judgmental,
regarding paranoia as something weird and kinky, just
a half-step from chainsaw murder. They do not view
paranoia sympathetically, or as merely an alternative
mode of perception, like extremely devout
religiosity."

Is this correct? Was the critical response to Paranoia
in Pynchon's fiction (to 1978 when Hollander's essay
was published) judgemental? Hollander doesn't provide
examples. I think Hollander is wrong about this.
However, Hollander is correct, as several critics
(some before and some after 1978) have discussed, that
paranoia is in fact a mode of perception in P's
fiction,  or better stated,  paranoia is religious or
metaphysical. Irving Loon (MMV) is Hollander's
example. The story (MMV), is a simple and obviously
the work of P the apprentice or "Slow Learner" and so
while it  does provide some clues to Pynchon's use of
paranoia, specifically one of several  binaries,  that
is,  paranoia as negative or hostile
religious/metaphysical perception [partly  gnostic] 
as opposed to paranoia as positive
religious/metaphysical perception--where the believer
perceives the world as a positive and benevolent one,
it is not explained, nor is it obvious by the example
(Loon, MMV) or made clear by Hollander's statement
that, 

"For Pynchon paranoia is part of a process. Paranoia
usually evolves out of a sense of being disinherited
and evolves into a need for apocalypse."

It is part of the process for Pynchon. In fact, it is
the Modern condition (the Secular condition or world
as in T. S. Eliot). Moreover, it is the Postmodern
mind. 

Disinherited? This is where Hollander goes out on a
limb in a storm and builds a house of cards. But I'll
get to this later. More interesting, since this is
what I am reading here in some very good posts, is
"the need for apocalypse."

What is this all about? On this, there are books,
dissertations, essays, articles, and not a few posts
in the archives. 

Hollander turns to the Watts essay. He has a very good
read on the essay, but what appears to be a more
"synmpatheic" reading of paranoia is in fact a
misreading. 


"The result, in Pynchon?s schema: paranoia, rage, and
eventual conflagration."

Hollander doesn't explain any of this. But it's
critical. The need for apicalypse! 



Next, Hollader hints that P is spooked and reluctant
to name names. Why is P spooked or reluctant to name?
Is he? 

Hollander says, 

"Pynchon, by writing ?Secretaries James and Foster and
Senator Joseph?  (Lot 49),  when he means us to know
that it is Secretary of Defense James V. Forrestal,
Secretary of State John Foster Dulles, and US Senator
Joseph McCarthy he is discussing, uses technique we
would expect of a terrified Russian dissident." 

Really? But he does name them and its not only obvious
to Hollander and a reader with a "magic eye." It's
obvious because P doesn't write like a terrified
Russian dissident. P writes like 
many of his generation, We might say that this
paranoia is related to but is not the same as the
negative/positive religious or metaphysical  paranoia.
It is in fact "part of the process," but here Paranoia
serves a narrative function. 


Hollander doesn't distinguish them, he confuses them. 

Hollander's sympathetic reading of paranoia is in fact
not very sympathetica at all. 

He says, 

"Pynchon writes as though he fears for his life,
though we seldom hear of writers being incarcerated
for their political views (except perhaps Ezra Pound),
let alone being assassinated in this country." 


Assassinated? OUt on thjat limb we go P-listers. But I
want to melt some wax first and 
check on the wind. I've been called every bad name
under the sun for my critique of Hollander, but now I
can fly into it and feel no pain. I'll post the rest
of my comments soon. 

      --Wood Jim 









 

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