MDDM Ch. 5: There was this Jesuit...

[John Bailey]

>From: jbor <jbor at bigpond.com>

<snip>

>I suspect that Pynchon's interest in the biographies of mathematicians (cf. 
>the next novel) made him aware of Father Boscovich ("young Boscovich 
>discovered for himself the proof of the theorem of Pythagoras"), and that's
>how the name comes to be slipped in here.
>
>I don't mean to downplay the possibilities for religious interpretation, 
>but
>in this case I don't think there's that much to it. (A little "devil's
>advocacy" does no harm, eh?) But I agree that the historical detail being
>referenced in the text needs to be noted. The main backdrop to the opening
>section of the tale is the Seven Years War, of course: the Battle at
>Quiberon Boy has been explicitly mentioned three times so far, while the
>actual stopover of the *Seahorse* at Tenerife passes by totally unnoticed.
>Ultimately, it is Pynchon's choice as to what Wicks does and does not
>narrate, and what is foregrounded within that narration.
>

Yep, I agree, jbor, but I can't help but think that the continuing 
references to the Jesuits in M&D (much more to come!) signify more than 
historical detail, and act as a kind of touchstone of the 'literary' 
paranoia which has been discussed a little recently (and very well might I 
add). Before reading M&D I'd come across enough of the 'classic' conspiracy 
texts/music/gossip which put Jesuits at the same level as Masons, Illuminati 
and Knights Templar, ie as a very rigorous and covert System whose motives 
and extent are unknown by the masses. I don't think Pynchon is subscribing 
to these beliefs, of course, but I think he may be using them to say 
something, or indeed saying something *about* them. If I remember correctly, 
Mason & Dixon begin with a fairly innocent consideration of Jesuits (cf the 
genial reference to Fr. Boscovich) but this becomes more complicated as the 
novel progresses, and their suspicions are raised...

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