Fallopian

[Samuel Moyer]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Dave Monroe" <davidmmonroe at yahoo.com>
>I'd honestly not much thought about
> Fallopian before Sam pegged him as esp. significant
> here, but, really ...
>

I was really like the boy pointing at the mushroom cloud, "mommy, is that
significant?"

But you know, all the players are changing (most sig. Oedipa) and Fallopian
is just different - not mad, dead, or disappeared.  His part in Oedipa's
journey is first to provide a scene (mail call - "you weren't supposed to
see that"  **wasn't she?**) and then later, after hearing what she had
learned, to feed her paranoia....   Or perhaps there is more...

But now I am looking back at Oed's travel log from Chap 5 trying to take
Fallopian's advise... what does she know is fact.  How much is just
imagination or paranoia...

Paranoia = p131 - She followed him (WASTE carrier) to the apartment house -
John Nefastis lived here.  She was back where she'd started, and could not
believe 24 hours had passed.  Should it have been more or less?  (OK - could
have found a better example, but...)

Imagination = p123 - ...there was somehow always the post horn.  She grew so
to expect it that perhaps she did not see it quite as often as she later was
to remember seeing it.

Real = The sailor's letter with the $.08 stamp on it.  She did drop it in
the can under the freeway and follow the W.A.S.T.E.man around town.

So, why doesn't she mail a letter to herself using WASTE?  Doesn't know
where to get the stamp I suppose.

And what is with the scene - the boy kissing his mom... p123.  The boy
planned to slip at night into an aquariums and open negotiations with
dolphins, who would succeed man.  Kind of reminds me of Father Fairing
(_V._)  and then both the dolphins and rats succeeding man makes me think
that Douglas Adams (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) must have been
reading Pynchon.

Someone probably mentioned that last week, but you'll have to excuse my lack
of effort... I am still 600 messages behind.

How about the poker player p122.  He kept records of his winnings/losings...
"Always just that little percent on the wrong side of breaking even.
Twenty-three years.  I'll never get ahead of it.  Why don't I quit?"

That is Oedipa... just a little bit on the wrong side of WASTE... Why
doesn't she quit?  C'mon Oedipa, Why?

Okay, where was I going with this...?  oh yeah.. that Fallopian thing...
what are her facts anyway?  Does it matter?  This story isn't about WASTE so
much as it is about Oedipa... or else the story would yield an ending to the
WASTE business, Chapter 7 would be the Auction... etc...

btw, really enjoyed all the posts on tupperware and appliances... a lot of
good takes on the pre-WASTE Oedipa.  Made me think also of Vonnegut's
_Slaughterhouse 5_ where Billy Pilgrim is happy to provide his wife with all
the latest in kitchen appliances.

Sam