Blicero the Badass

[Terrance]

jbor wrote:
> 
> >From the 'Luddite' essay:
> >
> 
> > There is a long folk history of this figure, the Badass. He
> > is usually male,
> 
> Blicero is male.
> 
> > and while sometimes earning the quizzical
> > tolerance of women,
> 
> Blicero earns Katje's friendship, protection, admiration even.
> 
> > is almost universally admired by men
> 
> Enzian, Gottfried and those 175s (who have indeedturned him into a legend).
> 
> > for
> > two basic virtues: he Is Bad,
> 
> Yes again. See below.
> 
> > and he is Big.
> 
> Phenomenonally, rather than in physical stature.
> 
> >  Bad meaning not
> > morally evil, necessarily, more like able to work mischief
> > on a large scale.
> 
> Yes, building and then letting Gottfried man that 00000 is certainly
> mischievous in terms of what Blicero's supposed to be doing for the Nazi war
> effort. And, it isn't meant or going to blow up the world, surely? Why does
> Blicero make a space for Gottfried in the 00000? It's his grasp at some sort
> of religious transcendence, not Armageddon.
> 
> > What is important here is the amplifying
> > of scale, the  multiplication of effect.
> 
> Yes, and so Blicero's legendary status (the 175s worship him, and he becomes
> a "local deity") and his literary status (cf. Milton's Satan as similarly
> "heroic") come right into play.
> 
> And, referring to Ned Ludd, but postulating what might have caused his
> elevation to the legendary status of "Badass", Pynchon writes:
> 
> > No doubt what people admired and mythologized him for was
> > the vigor and single-mindedness of his assault.
> 
> Right on the money for Blicero as well.
> 
> best

Yup!