COLGR49: Chapter 1 Summary - Thoughts

[calbert at hslboxmaster.com]

Echoes of Great Gatsby and the Spec doctor......

love,
cfa
> 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
> 
> 
>