MDDM "Another Slave-Colony"

[Bandwraith at aol.com]

In a message dated 1/2/02 8:24:37 PM, jbor at bigpond.com writes:

>>best

I can see we're going round and round, and while I think
you make valuable arguments, I'm not entirely convinced, 
but I will grant you the last word, and not only because of your 
good work in moderating the discussion this far, thank you.

I do think it might be fruitful to consider what we are in
agreement that Pynchon has "extrapolated" (if you prefer-
due to lack of any real historical data) as a means of catching
at least a glimpse of his shadow. Choosing to create a novel
based on two real historical characters, and then presenting
their foibles and interactions in such exquisite detail- most
of which is at least elaborated- is risky and revealing. Making
it all feel correct and still managing to strike many of the 
thematic chords we've come to associate with him through
reading his other works, is pretty remarkable in my opinion.

But I'm not ready to quit the rest of chapter 25 just yet.
There are some other aspects which I find intreeguing. One
of which is the line, 253.14:

        Mason regards him carefully. Something has happened,
    back in Durham.

It's Dixon's attitude, I think, the way in which he is approaching those
questions which are giving them both the shivers, that brings Mason
to this conclusion. Those questions need to be looked at more
carefully, from an existential pov, but the question begged by 
Mason's sudden pause, which we are privvy too, also needs
to be answered- What happened back in Durham that is providing
Dixon with this new way of perceiving the enigmas of the past and
the uncertainty to come? I can think of only the encounter with
the Jesuit, and the strange passage on the river and its premonition
of America, but I'm not sure.