SLSL "TSR" frogs = death?

[Otto]

----- Original Message -----
From: "pynchonoid" <pynchonoid at yahoo.com>
To: "Pynchon-L" <pynchon-l at waste.org>
Sent: Monday, December 02, 2002 11:41 PM
Subject: SLSL "TSR" frogs = death?


> I guess I just don't get this insistence on  either/or
> dichotomies when it comes to Pynchon's texts -- in the
> present instance it seems to be necessary, for some of
> the folks in this discussion at least, that the frogs
> symbolize death and nothing but.  But frogs are alive,
> that's the irony, that a creature so green and alive
> should also be associated with people journeying to
> the land of the dead.
>

If the Frogs were Immortal They would be Silent.

Really just some thoughts:

I wonder what would become of sex if we were immortal.

Sex and death are absolutely connected through the circle of life, and frogs
are a very good example for this. When it comes to sex frogs have to go back
to their birth pond, taking the risk of getting eaten by other animals, many
are run over by cars, some get caught and tortured by naughty boys etc.
Frequently there are so many male frogs trying to have sex with one female
that they drown her. Sad but true. Frogs are surely a powerful metaphor for
the eros/thanatos binary.

Intertextuality:
I think it's impossible to use a choir of frogs in literature without
automatically pointing out/alluding to the Aristophanes-play. But note that
there it's a choir of frog-ghosts (dead ones, not living creatures trying to
attract females, the purpose of their croaking is altered) down at Hades.

See Joyce, the master of intertextual allusion, refering to Aristophanes:
"What clashes here of wills gen wonts, oystrygods gaggin fishygods. Brékkek
Kékkek Kékkek! Kóax Kóax Kóax!" (FW 4)

Otto


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