V.V.(8) sfacim and sewer stories

[Michael Perez]

jbor wrote:
"[Benny] has a couple of bittersweet and self-deprecatory reflections
on the diametric opposition between the one ('sfacimento' as
destruction or decay, and 'sfacim' as the bringer of fertility and
regeneration), in terms of what consorting with him might result in for
the girls."

Yeah, I LOVED that!  Life-bringing semen is nasty, but destruction or
decay is just fine.  "Catholic gir-ir-irls, with their tiny little
mustache...."

jbor also wrote:
"And the paragraph at 142.10 seems to illustrate Pynchon's concerns
about the generation of 'myths' from 'sewer stories'; I detect a
certain
self-consciousness or reflexiveness here."

At least a little self-revealed honesty, anyway.  Throwaway myths have
been very useful in the modern world.  Ronald Reagan was good at this
sort of story.  Even though his were easy enough to see through, he
related stories that people wanted to believe for the time being, it
justified their prejudices.  I think throwaway myths are different than
so-called "urban legends" which are stories than survive through time
that are hard for people to let go.

Michael

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