re MDMD: America

[Doug Millison]

Badger
>I agree, but I also agree with Terrance that Dixon is not so great at
>controlling this desire.

Dixon manages to refrain from intentionally injuring or killing the slave
driver, so he's obviously been very successful at controlling his murderous
urge.

Pynchon obviously had choices to make as he creates this story which,
apparently, is not documented in the historical record of Dixon.  He could
have let Dixon yield to his murderous urge, but instead he shows us Dixon
managing not to do that -- in the context of a novel which also features
the Lambton Worm story that shows how the desire to kill the evil other is
ultimately suicidal.