MDDM Ch. 72 Dixon and the slave driver

[Doug Millison]

At 2:34 PM -0400 8/23/02, Terrance wrote:
>That being said, it is not out of character for Dixon to whip a man or
>kill one.
>

This would, imo, add an incredibly sad and I think alienating (from the
reader's POV) note to Dixon's characterization,  one that Pynchon does not,
again imo, create in the novel. I think it would be out of character --
Dixon is a bit excitable, prone to drink, drug and chase women, but he
appears to understand the slaves' suffering as well as his own place in the
System that enforces slavery and profits from the slaves' misery (imo, of
course).  He pulls back (paraphrasing, Otto) from whipping the
slave-driver, which is  in character, in a way that whipping or killing him
would not be -- that's a Line I believe Pynchon is careful not to let Dixon
cross.

Visualizing P-list peas, still,


Doug Millison
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