MDDM Gershom's Intervention

[jbor]

[572.14-32, Raleigh's Billiard Room, characters' names added]

[Anonymous colonial revolutionary No. 1]: "Even as clearings appear in the
Smoke of a Tavern, so in Colonial matters may we be able to see into, and
often enough thro', the motives of Georgie Rex and that dangerous Band of
Boobies.... Henceforth, it seems, the Irish and the Ulster Scots are to be
upon the same terms with them as the Africans, Hindoos and other Dark
peoples they enslave,-- and so, to make it easier to shoot us, with all
Americans,-- tho' we be driven more mystickally, not by the Lash and the
Musket, but by Ledger and Theodolite. All to assure them of an eternal
Supply of cheap axmen, farmers, a few rude artisans, and docile buyers of
British goods."

[Anonymous colonial revolutionary No. 2]: "Not only presuming us their
Subjects, which is bad enough,-- but that we're merely another kind of
Nigger,-- well that's what I can't forgive. Are you sure?"

[George Washington]: "Civility, Sir! The word you have employ'd, here in
this quiet Pool of Reason, is a very Shark, which ever feels its Lunch-Hour
nigh."

[Gershom]: "Excuse me, do I hear that Word again? In this Smoak, 'twould
seem, so are we all."

[Washington]: "Eeh!" Washington grabbing Mason.

[Mason]: "Colonel, Sir," twitching away, "'twould be far preferable,-- "

[Washington]: "That voice, Mason! 'tis my Tithable, Gershom!"

***

As I mentioned, it is Washington who is expressing his contempt at hearing
the racist term "Nigger" spoken by the man at 572.26. His reprimand is a
challenge to this man, one of GW's own peers and allies. In calling this man
out George risks not only his reputation (and being found in company with
Mason will only compound the disgrace), and perhaps even his liberty and his
life (in a duel, or barroom brawl), but also the American Republic which he
has been groomed to bring into being.

The reason Mason is "twitching away" at 572.31 is because he has realised
the sort of trouble which will ensue if George follows through in his rebuke
of this man, and Chas knows full well from what he witnessed on the visit to
Mt Vernon exactly where George does stand on the issue of racism against
Negroes, and how strong his conviction will be.

But, intervening in order to quell the potential fracas at 572.28, is
Gershom. Both in what he says, and by the very act of speaking up, he is
able to defuse the situation. He, too, has recognised the potential dangers
here. George recognises his trusted friend by the sound of his voice
(572.31), and is surprised, and distracted from the racist man, and then
Gersh swings into his King-Joak routine. There is general confusion amongst
"the Company" then (573.3), and now it is Gersh who is in danger by virtue
of his very presence. No "Niggers" welcome here! But by 573.13 young Nathe
McClean, at least, has kicked in as well to cover for Gersh, and now it's
Mason's turn to recognise the voice of his former underling at 573.15.

It's a very carefully-crafted scene. Gershom's intervention here on behalf
of his friend, George, is echoed in the later scene where Dixon frees the
chained slaves. Again the Negroes are given a voice by Pynchon, and again it
is they who intervene to assist Dixon, who has acted bravely, though perhaps
too impulsively, on their behalf: "Sheriff's men'll be here any moment,--
don't worry about us,-- some will stay, some'll get away, but you'd better
go, right now." (699.15)

Ben Franklin may well have believed "that Africans, if free and given
opportunities to advance, could have become the intellectual equals of
whites" - which is an extremely arrogant and patronising attitude, to be
sure - but _M&D_'s George Washington has already acknowledged and accepted
the fact that they *are* the "intellectual equals" of whites, the *human*
"equals" of whites, in fact, which is why (and how) Pynchon accords him far
greater acclaim and respect in his text.

best


on 2/7/02 8:52 AM, jbor at jbor at bigpond.com wrote:
>
> See 572.23-27. A much lesser "evil", a far greater risk.
> 


on 2/7/02 11:40 AM, Doug Millison at millison at online-journalist.com wrote:

> 
> In putting the words in Washington's mouth -- "Not only presuming us their
> Subjects, which is bad enough,-- but that we're merely another kind of
> Nigger,-- well that's what I can't forgive" (572)-- Pynchon  seems to
> underscore the very hypocrisy that Rushton calls out.
> 
>