vv: is stencil to benny like stephen to bloom?

[Lorentzen / Nicklaus]

                                        re: pynchon's anxiety of influence

 in its internal construction the novel v resembles the novel ulysses through 
 the male constellation (though in v this relation has, in contrary to ulysses, 
 no connotations of father- & sonship). like stephen, stencil is an educated 
 person with ambitions. and bloom is, like benny, a profane man. in both books 
 the two men, though they meet, are most of the time seperated of each other. in 
 both books this male constellation works as a primary integrating structure.

kfl