re Re: re Re: MDDM Washington

[Doug Millison]

What good does it do to reveal the absurdity of an institution if there's
no action taken to change or eliminate that institution?  Is the suggestion
that Washington is aware of the absurdity and evil of slavery and that's
why he treats Gershom as he does? That's precisely the failing that Pynchon
seems to be pointing out in this portrayal of Washington that jbor insists
is that of a  "benevolent" slave master -- Washington's slaves may have a
better life in some respects than slaves owned by other masters (although I
have to wonder about the slaves Washington put to work digging that Great
Dismal Swamp Company canal, that's hard, dirty work, and I also have to
wonder what Washington did, if anything, about the slaves he owned who had
been separated from their family members when they were sold into slavery),
but by not taking action against slavery itself, his personal attitude does
nothing to help the large numbers of slaves who suffered elsewhere in the
American colonies -- including those slaves that Dixon risks his life to
free.

Otto:
>The post-modern discussion of slavery of course includes the reversal of the
>master & slave hierarchy (to reveal its absurdity) as being done in the
>presentation of Gershom, the smoking scene & the King George jokes.