21st century Lambton Worm

[Otto]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Doug Millison" <millison at online-journalist.com>
To: <pynchon-l at waste.org>
Sent: Monday, July 01, 2002 2:26 AM
Subject: MDDM Ch. 60 Washington (592)
>
> It's tempting to think of the Worm coiled around the White House, whose
> occupant is so quick to identify an Evil Other and seek to slay it, no
> matter what the cost or how suicidal the project might be.
>
and:
> Pynchon has been dealing with this cosmic serpent-reptile
> motif/archetype for a long time.
>

The 21st century Lambton Worm
It's a tempting picture indeed (though I don't buy it because the analogy
stops very fast), but let's play: the worm has already brought down the Twin
Towers & bitten a piece out of the Pentagon, the American symbols of
economical & military power. Didn't somebody speak of the "Hydra of
Terrorism", the multi-headed beast? Wouldn't it have been more suicidal to
let its heads go on, get bridges, power-plants and dams maybe? Doesn't have
the hero the obligation to go to the beast's cave (Afghanistan, Tora Borah)?

Otto


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