MDDM18: German

[Dave Monroe]

Okay, accidentally lost the first post I'd written in
response, so ...

--- jbor <jbor at bigpond.com> wrote:
> I think that "among the Clientele" (298.17) at 'The
> Flower-de-Luce' are German-speaking colonists and
> their descendants and friends, who congregate there
> to speak with one another, in German, on topics of
> common interest.

So I apparently didn't mention that ...
 
> I see your point that the "Quack Physicians, Land
> Surveyors [and] Iron Prospectors" probably do
> share "an interest in the Magnetick" (though not
> the "Watch-Thieves", except subversively, and
> despite the metaphor applied to their undertakings),
> and the grammatical connection, but don't think that
> this need necessarily apply to the "German
> Enthusiasts" as well. (In fact, the recombined
> phrase would be "German Enthusiasts [...] with an
> interest in the Magnetick", which is patently
> tautological.)

... the Watch-Thieves are because, of course, the
Land-Surveyors, in particular, would be esp. likely to
carry watches (that metaphor carries on the spirit of
the place and reinforces this, er, attraction) ...
 
> I think the references to the "German Dietists",
> "German Enthusiasts" and "the German Packet" are
> aspects of Pynchon's focus on the multicultural
> flavour of the colony at this time - scrupulously
> historically-accurate, I might add - and read them
> alongside similar references to the Swedes,
> Graziana [...] daughter of Naples" (260.15), the
> "Moravian Brethren" (306.6), "Germantown" (306.14),
> and "expert [pigeon-wrangling] Belgians, resident
> here". (309.26)

... making it even more likely that the "German
enthusiasts" (of, indeed, "things Magnetick," though,
in the end, it comes out more or less the same if one
reads this as "enthusiasts" of "German" [a la "sports
enthusiasts"] "interested in things Magnetick,"
there's still that "German"/"Magnetick" connection
implied) are part of a "Clientele" with a particular
"interest in things Magnetick."  That's why they're
all there, yr GEs, yr LSs (who in turn, in particular,
er, attract yr WTs), yr QPs, yr Dixon, yr Dolly, et
soforthiam.  Again, note that that "declension" (i.e.,
magnetic variation) "Data" arrives specifically via
"the German packet."  I've yet to come up with any
particular German (vs. English, French, Russian,
Swedish, even) interest in, work on, "things
Magnetick" yet, but maybe that "German mystical
magnetism" thing or whatever'll clear that up for me
(again, too early for Mesmer, despite that mention [by
Wicks Cherrycoke, in the narration, after the fact] of
"Mesmerites" in Ch. 3.  But I've posted on that
already, so ...).  Will report back ...

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