pynchon-l-digest V2 #1678

[Doug Millison]

To erase or ignore the connections that Pynchon does indeed lay out 
between specific corporations and the Nazis -- and between the Nazis 
and the post-war U.S. and multinational corporations -- goes way 
beyond distortion, a term like "censorship" (in the sense of blocking 
out specific passages) might not be unwarranted. Pynchon gives us the 
opportunity to hold multiple readings at once, nothing simple about 
it, it's both/and:  GR links specific corporations (and governments, 
and individuals) to the Nazis, and provides the deeper critique; 
Vineland, with a Nazi and the Mafia and the Hollywood Blacklist to 
remind us of Reagan Administration roots, takes the critique 
explicitly into 1980s America; M&D, among other things, shows Nazi 
(and U.S. imperialist-colonialist) roots in the earlier wave of 
European expansion. Of course Pynchon's novels aren't merely the 
historical-political situations he refers to directly or alludes to 
indirectly, but they are also that along with whatever else they 
might be. Rejecting the text itself makes for a bootless 
interpretation;  the mud might feel good squishing between your toes 
for awhile, but you won't get far.

rj:
>Any summation of the achievement or message of_GR_ as merely an 
>instance of exposing corporate complicity with the Nazis
>is extremely simplistic imo. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that 
>it's a distortion.
>Surely there is in _GR_ a more thoroughgoing and far-reaching
>critique of "The System", and not just those corporations, government
>agencies and individuals who Pynchon has researched and selected to
>exemplify the ruthless and inhumane workings of "The System".

rj:
>  The whole notion of providing monetary
>retribution for genocide survivors is troubling.

The notion of leaving unpunished the corporations, government 
officials, and institutions who tortured, killed, plundered innocent 
victims isn't troubling? Especialy when, in some cases, they are the 
same entities, following similar practices, in corners of the world 
we don't hear about much because they also own the media?

It's a good thing, I guess, we have a writer like Pynchon, who's not 
afraid to create a character like Major Marvy and render literary 
justice, as rj noted, when in fact the   U.S. miltary-industrial 
complex, and its counterparts outside the U.S., contain more 
characters like him -- and his analogue, the diseased Nazi monster 
who graduates to the Board of Directors, Blicero/Weissmann -- than 
you can shake a stick at.
-- 
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