Pynchon's Mothers & Roger's Mother

[Paul Mackin]

Think it's only to his mother that he is known as Jeremy.
Jessica thinks of him only as Beaver. Once Roger mistakening refers to him
as Nutria but Jessica quickly corrects him "Beaver" she sez.

        P.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Terrance" <lycidas2 at earthlink.net>
To: <pynchon-l at waste.org>
Sent: Monday, October 22, 2001 11:06 AM
Subject: Re: Pynchon's Mothers & Roger's Mother


>
>
> Mark Wright AIA wrote:
> >
> > I don't have my copy of GR handy and so I may be unpersuasive (I can't
> > remember his name, dammit) but I've never thought of Roger's Rival's
> > nickname "Beaver" as a nasty sexual reference at all. I interpreted it
> > as descriptive of the man, pegging him as a childishly eager (as in
> > 'Eager Beaver') fellow with the underbite of the fabled and
> > stereotypical "upper class twit". A host of possible mannerisms and
> > speech patterns are called to mind by the nickname as Roger uses it,
> > few of them sexual as far as I'm concerned. The sexual aspects of the
> > name do, later in GR, find expression in Roger's imagination as he is
> > losing Jessica during the demobilization.
> >
> > Not sure what this might have to do with Oedipus or Freud...
> > Mark
>
> His name is Jeremy ( I couldn't remember either) and the connotation you
> suggest here is right on. There is a lot of support for this in the
> book. But I think young Mexico (and P, who loves the multiplicity of
> meanings available) has the insult in mind as well.
> The Oedipal, homosexual theme is also present. After all, it is Jeremy's
> Mom who calls him her Beaver. And Roger wonders if Jeremy is having oral
> sex (cunnilingual being a metaphor for a major theme in P's
> fiction--homosexual repression, violence, murder, war... i.e.  Frenesi
> in VL) with Jessica.