re Re: MDDM Washington & Gershom

[Doug Millison]

jbor:
>even though Pynchon's GW realises
>that he is Gershom's (*"nominal"*) master, he treats and respects him as an
>equal


Really?  Then why isn't Washington serving the drinks and stepping to fetch
the pipe and herb? Why isn't Gershom ordering Washington into the kitchen
to cook some snacks? So much for his "equal" treatment of his enslaved
African American.  (Martha is also onto Washington's patriarchal ways, as
she brings in the munchies for the men as they smoke pot and talk
politics.)  Beyond that, as Gershom's legal owner, it's impossible for W to
be Gershom's equal. jbor's argument remains absurd in the face of what
Pynchon actually shows in M&D.



>my interpretation was wrong

I haven't said that, but I do observe that yours appears a very weak,
knee-jerk attempt to prove me wrong.   Washington is in no danger in Ch. 58
(where he call Gershom, again, "my Tithable" by the way, underscoring his
ownership of the enslaved African American), and there's no evidence that
he's trying to conceal his identity. Gershom (if it's him and not an
imposter -- an option Pynchon also leaves open -- the crowd likes his
stories) isn't in any danger either, Washington fades from the scene.
Only by arbitrarily assigning a couple of dialogue lines -- which Pynchon
does not attribute and which could easily be spoken by any number of people
crowding into the room, as I demonstrated earlier in this thread -- to
Washington and Gershom do you even come close to propping up this Rube
Goldberg reading.
Wrong?
 N/A.
Ridiculous?
Yes.


jbor:
>His basic "game" is flamebait.

That's rich coming from a flamemeister like yourself, especially one with a
posse to sling mud and create a diversion.  Instead of hiding behind their
skirts, you could try providing something a bit less absurd to prop up your
lame argument,  we could talk about Pynchon's books instead of talking
about me.  Oops -- what would Terrance and Malign and Mackin have to talk
about then?