MDMD Dixon's nonviolence

[Dave Monroe]

Do note this in reference to Pynchon's likely use of
Robinson in a later incident in the novel ...

   "Dixon, moving directly, seizes the Whip,-- [...]
'Turn around.  I guess you've never felt this.'"
   "'You broke my Tooth!'" (M&D, Ch. 72, p. 698)

--- Doug Millison <millison at online-journalist.com>
wrote:
> Thanks, Dave.  If this is an accurate historical
> account, it would appear that Pynchon has
> substantially changed the account of Dixon's
> encounter with the slave driver, changing it such
> that Dixon refrains from thrashing the slave driver
> with the whip...thus bringing it more in line with a
> nonviolent approach to resolving conflict and
> promoting social justice. This isn't the Dixon that
> Pynchon has invented.
> 
> >From H.W. Robinson, "Jeremiah Dixon (1733-1779)--A
> Biographical Note," Proceedings of the American
> Philosophical Society 91 (1950): 272-4 ...
> 
> "Dixon came upon a slave driver mercilesly beating a
> poor [as opposed to ...?] black woman.  Going up to
> him he said: 'Thou must not do that!' [...]  Then
> righteous wrath overcame his Quaker principles.  He
> was a tall and powerful man, and an imposing figure,
> so without more ado he seized the slave driver's
> whip and with it gave him the sound thrashing that
> he richly deserved." (p. 273)

Robinson also notes that "Dixon kept the whip as a
trophy and took it back with him to Cockfield, where
it was long regarded as a family treasure" (Robinson
p. 273/Foreman p. 153) ...

   "Thrusting the Whip into his red Coat, Dixon steps
away ..." (M&D, Ch. 72, p. 699)

I led off my first M&D hosting stint with a chunk of
Foreman's article ...

http://waste.org/mail/?list=pynchon-l&month=0109&msg=59657&sort=date

Portions of which he seems to have floated earlier on
the List, even.  Search "Foreman" here ...

http://waste.org/pynchon-l/

Look for his name on the posts.  But do note that the
above incident follows the following in the novel ...

   "'Alas,' beams the Revd, 'must we place our
unqualified Faith in the Implement, as the Tale
accompting for its Presence,-- these Family stories
have been perfected in the hellish Forge of Domestick
Recension, generation 'pon generation, till what
survivs is the pure truth, anneal'd to Mercilessness,
about each Figure, no matter how stretch's, nor how
influenced over the years by all the Sentiments from
unreflective love to inflexible Dislike.'
   "'Don't leave out Irresponsible Embellishment.'
   "'Rather, part of the common Duty of Remembering,--
surely our Sentiments,-- how we dream'd of, and were
mistaken in, each other,-- count for at least as much
as our poor cold Chrnologies.'" (M&D, Ch. 72, p. 696)

Amen.  But the point is, I believe, even a Quaker
pacifist can be driven to action, aggression,
violence, even, in the face of injustice, oppression,
violence.  Of course, R. Milhous Nixon was raised a
Quaker, but ...


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