answering a Malign post

[Doug Millison]

I have argued the Holocaust is central to GR (along with several 
other central issues related to religion, philosophy, corporate rape 
of the Earth, science & technology, politics, etc.; Pynchon Notes 
42-43 presents a collection of responses to GR that demonstrate the 
range of issues that critics currently consider central to the 
novel).  Disagreement with my argument centered on the definition of 
"central" and whether or not certain elements in GR might be read as 
direct references to or allusions to the Holocaust. I agree there is 
plenty of room for debate on these issues.  My position,  simply 
stated, is:  the rocket is central to the novel, without Holocaust 
slave labor there would be no rockets produced for the Nazis to 
launch, therefore the Holocaust is central to the novel.  Some of you 
objected to this formulation, more or less violently.  And of course 
you're all entitled to your opinions and I welcome your 
interpretations. I'm certainly not alone in seeing the Holocaust as 
an important element in GR, however. Crownshaw reads GR as an 
allegory of the Holocaust, and judging from his article's publication 
in Pynchon Notes it seems he's not completely beyond the pale in 
terms of Pynchon scholarship, no matter how any particular Pynchon 
scholar might evaluate his article.  I think Crownshaw's article 
presents a convincing argument that Pynchon, in creating his 
Holocaust allegory, has done so in a way that is not offensive.  His 
article deserves to be read and discussed. I'll go out on a limb and 
suggest that you all order a copy of PN 42-43 -- plenty in there to 
fuel many discussions in this forum if anybody's bored.  Subscribe to 
PN while you're at it and do yourself the favor of keeping up with 
current Pynchon scholarship.

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