MDDM Ch. 70 Interdiction

[Terrance]

jbor wrote:
> 
> 678-9 It's interesting that first off Mason is the one who wants to proceed
> now, even though it was Dixon who previously had the "Westering" mania.
> 
> The conversation between them shows that Dixon is able to empathise with a
> Native American perspective on what the Line portends, whereas Mason can't
> get outside his Eurocentric rationalism:
> 
> "We'll show them. Let them look thro' the Instruments or something. Or they
> can watch us writing."

Right Mason is stuck, but while Dixon does empathize with the Natives
here and to a certain extent with many of the "Natives" and "strangers"
he meets on his adventures (often comparing his home and the people
there with the "strangers he meets", i.e., the coloring, as you noted,
of the coal miners and the vegetable miners and so on....), this
razzle-dazzle "Let them have more than their daily ration of Spirits"
statement is perhaps the meanest idea to come out of Dixon's mouth in
the entire novel. 

I can't make out if he has in fact changed positions with Mason or not. 

> 
> "But those are Threats we do not make."
> 
> Then it's Dixon who wants to proceed: "Cheer's the ticket." Get them drunk.
> 
> Both are beset by indecision, tergiversation.
> 
> Is the end of Ch. 69, when "[t]hey wake" (from the dream which has been the
> Commission), in fact the "moment of the Interdiction"?
> 

Care to elaborate? 

I went back and read Chapter 60. I can't quite make the connection Doug
has in mind. 

Why does Dixon say, "a great Invisible thing"? Invisible? 

Mason concedes that they are a living creature or metaphorically anyway. 

It's all very awkward dialogue, stilted or something. As if Dixon (to
Doug, Pynchon) is forcing this invisible, living creature stuff into the
page. 

Mason does an interesting thing here and he does this periodically
throughout, he tidies up the dialogue. In this example, he "tidies up"
Dixon's "Invisible creature" and "IT" metaphor, first to "it is all of
us...labor" and then to "this Line has a Will to proceed Westward" and
then "We", this after Dixon still insists on an "influence" and a
"Current." 

Dixon empathizing seems to be an overstepping, while Mason remains
oblivious, indifferent, eurocentrick. 

And they all rolled over and one fell out
there was but one in the bed and the little one said,

Goodnight dear ladies, Goodnight.....