VV (19) Disposal of Profane

[Dave Monroe]

Okay, again, it may or may not have been made
elsewhere--I don't recall it having been, but I forget
far more of what I read than I'll ever be able to
remember, and I've not done my extracurricular reading
(re- or otherwise) yet on this chapter, the
"epilogue"; still I think this would have stood out,
but let me know ...--but this is a truly startling
reading to me.  Not in the least an unreasonable one,
but ... but, well, why?  To what end(s)?  With what
effect(s)?  Brenda's pretty much been just introduced,
Benny, well, why Benny?  This'd really break my heart
here ... but, without having time right now to much
consider why, my instinct is that Brenda's poem ("I am
the twentieth century" [p. 454]--and I think you're
right on that rug/James thing, will look into it,
though I imagine someone will have already done so by
the tiem I get back to this) and that blackout
("Presently, sudden and in silence, all illumination
in Valletta, houselight and streetlight, was
extinguished" [p. 455]) are no doubt of particular
significance here, a reading of both (not to mention
the end of the "Epilogue,' the end of the novel) of
particular significance in reading that final sentence
of Ch. 16.  I still think there's something a bit more
figurative going on here, a trajectory perhaps rather
than a descent, but ... but it does resonate with that
suicide theme throughout V. (Sarah, Melanie, the
Herero, speculatively), that Hirsch letter (again, the
Herero), Gravity's Rainbow ("The Empty Ones," the
world).  Hm ... again, though, note that, in V. the
street goes black, in GR the screen goes white, but in
both we're left at that "final delta-t," hanging,
suspended ... of course, by the time of its writing,
V. is already chronologiaclly over (1963 vs. 1956),
whereas, at least at the time of its publication
(1973, but "Richard M. Zhlubb" tends to date it), GR
ends in a sort of eternal, recurring (with each
reading) present.  But, Benny, why'd'ja do it?  Jeez
...
 
> --- Samuel Moyer <smoyer at satx.rr.com> wrote:
>   
> Does anyone doubt that Profane and Brenda commit
> suicide?  Page 455:
>  
> Hand in hand with Brenda... Profane ran down the
> street.....  Profane and Brenda continued to run
> through the abruptly absolute night, momentum alone
> carrying them toward the edge of Malta, and the
> Mediterranean beyond.


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