COLGR49: Chapter 1 Summary - Thoughts

[Otto]

Tim:
>
> "Hanging in the air over her bed she now beheld the well-known portrait of
Uncle
> that appears in front of all our post offices, his eyes gleaming
unhealthily,
> his sunken yellow cheeks most violently rouged, his finger pointing
between her
> eyes.  I want you" (p. 17).
>

Which is on p. 10 in my edition!

>
> Between the Tupperware and fondue, the negative feelings surrounding
Mucho's car
> sales and DJ jobs, the above description of Uncle Sam, the reference to
Jay
> Gould you pointed out, and a variety of other subtlies in this chapter, I
see a
> strong indictment against America (in many different ways and degrees)
emerging
> in the novel.
>

On Testaments (both old and new, in law and in religion)

America is the Promised Land, 'God's Own Country', where "His" will shall be
executed. Pierce is God (or some entity from above or in limbo, he never
occurs in the novel and is only referred to) whose will has to be executed
by Oedipa:
"the legacy was Amerika (...) coded in Inverarity's testament" (123-124).

Otto