MDDM Washington & Gershom

[Samuel Moyer]

----- Original Message -----
From: <barbara100 at jps.net>

>
> Dude! you don't need any more textual evidence than the book jacket! The
> time and place will tell you.  Gershom's black, Washington's a plantation
> master--that's all you need to know to figure out Gershom's UNDER George.
> Now I'm sure Pynchon's a kind enough writer (ha!) to want to shed some
light
> of humanity on old George, but the reader should make no mistake about
who's
> really on  TOP in Mason & Dixon. Pynchon's always got someone on TOP.

Don't you mean he always has someone underneath?
When you read the novel you may change your opinion.

There is never, imo, an order from Washington given to Gershom.  Sure he
asks him to do things, but Pynchon frames it in very familiar language... It
strikes me as no different than the language between Mason and Dixon...  Not
to mention Martha serves George and Gershom... and is very at home with this
relationship... Gershom smokes with George... and company...  these are not
things one expects in a normal master - slave relationship and why would
Pynchon (or Cherrycoke) put it this way if we are supposed to come away with
a feeling that George is a traditional slave owner?

Cherrycoke would never put George in a good light if he were oppressive...
recall Cherrycoke's early crime of naming names of those crimes committed by
the stronger against the weaker (opening chapter).

I am not suggesting Gershom is free, or that he can practice perfect freedom
(who can)... but he certainly has a great deal of liberty.  Perhaps we
should be discussing how J Wade LeSpark, Brae, Ethelmer, etc must be
reacting to this?  I'd say in light of the late war, Cherrycoke is bestowing
virtues on Washington that may not be historically accurate... but here they
are anyway and Gersh is treated as a near equal and a friend.

in my opinion,

sam