MDDM Ch. 72 Dixon and the slave driver

[Dave Monroe]

Well, quite frankly, the first thing I did when I
check this address tonight (which I use only for this
list) was to delete immediately EVERYTHING that
appeared to bear on this passage.  I feel obligated to
read it, I've got the digests elsewhere.  I just don't
have the time or patience for the slapfight I'm sure
is underway ...  

That being said, I will note (again ...) that Pynchon
departs significantly from Robinson's retelling of
what is presented as longstanding Dixon lore. 
Pynchon's Dixon is not as brutal as Robinson's.  For
comic effect and/or as a relativistic (in the
Einsteinian sense) reframing of the mechnaics involved
or no, that "oncoming face" DOES hit Dixon's
"place[d]" fist, and not the other way 'round, as
Pynchon writes it.  Dixon, however, does "place" his
fist, and would ceratinly have a fair idea of the
inevitable result given the momentum involved, so ...

So Pynchon's Dixon is a bit more temperate than
Robinson's (via ...? will make a research run ...). 
There are Reasons for this, no doubt, even though all
we can do is infer what they might be from their
Effects.  Here, I think it's at least safe to say that
Pynchon's Dixon is more sympathetic than Robinson's. 
He protests injustice, puts a halt to it, but does not
quite return said violence, certainly not in the
manner that Robinson's Dixon does.  I think that this
difference is a Clue of some sort here, but, even
without knowledge of/recourse to Robinson's retelling
of popular lore, the effects are the same ...

At any rate, I have no desire to be dragged into
service by either side (Th' List vs. Doug) on any of
these points, nor do I believe that Robinson's account
can all-too-simply be enlisted by anyone involved
(precahiung a middle way of my own here), so ... but
the salient point is, there is a Difference, a
difference that makes a difference ...

And pardon me for that ellipsis in Rosbinson's
account.  Not having Robinson's paper at hand (again,
have a sheaf of resrach that's gone missing), I
reposted from an earlier post, and I believe I posted
THAT as excerpted in Foreman's essay.  Jaust haven't
ahd that paper at hand for a while, is all.  However,
as I recall from the original document, there was
nothing bearing on the discussion (?) at hand
excluded, so ... 

--- Otto <ottosell at yahoo.de> wrote:
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Dave Monroe" <davidmmonroe at yahoo.com>
> To: <pynchon-l at waste.org>
> Sent: Saturday, August 24, 2002 9:16 AM
> Subject: Re: MDDM Ch. 72 Dixon and the slave driver
> 
> Thanks for the Source, Dave. So Rob's reading isn't
> only supported by the text (several times an
> italicised "you") but as well by the primary source
> Pynchon has used for the novel....

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