SLSL Intro "Chicago School"

[barbara100 at jps.net]

----- Original Message -----
From: "jbor" <jbor at bigpond.com>
To: <pynchon-l at waste.org>
Sent: Friday, November 08, 2002 10:23 PM
Subject: Re: SLSL Intro "Chicago School"



> No, he says that "...both movements "placed too much emphasis on
youth...", which
> is a different thing entirely, and which I'm sure you're perfectly well
> aware of.

Actually he says "both forms of the movement placed too much emphasis on
youth."
That would be the Beat and hippie movements, both forms of one greater
movement, very much "the same, only different." He obvioulsy liked the
leftward movement. Why else feel "nostalgia and vindication" ten years later
when the hippies resurged?  Even if "only for a while."  And "vindication."
That's a strong word.  It implies he felt good about what he'd learned and
how he'd evolved.

> It's pretty obviously a direct criticism.

'Tis not obvious.

> In fact, he segues from
> the movements back into his early stories via what he describes as the
> "puerility angle". He's actually using the term "puerile" to characterise
> the sensibility of both the Beat/post-Beat and hippie generations.

I think the "puerility angle" is referencing his "imperfectly developed
attitudes about sex and death."

"Youth of course was wasted on me at the time, but I bring up the puerility
angle again because, along with imperfectly developed attitudes about sex
and death, we may also note how easily some of my adolescent values were
able to creep in and wreck an otherwise sympathetic character." (SL, 9)

> But I do wonder why he notes that "Youth of course was wasted on me at the
> time ... " He's not quite wallowing in it, but there's a definite note of
> self-pity there at least.

He probably feels the movement was wasted on him because he was "puerile,"
he was  "an unpolitical '50s student,"  with  "imperfectly developed
attitudes about sex and death"; and he didn't know yet there was a "way of
communicati[ng]" between class lines.   ("Who knew?")

He's done a fine job communicating since, though.  All the brotherhood of
man, and "...at one with...." stuff from Gravity's Rainbow--makes all the
more sense now.   Not sure it does any good though--Look at us, Jbor,
fighting with one another like we do, wedged and divided even on the common
ground of Thomas Pynchon.  It's enjoyable though.  And good exercise.

Peace,

Barbara

PS:

> > The success of the "new left" later in the '60s was to be limited by the
> > failure of college kids and blue-collar workers to get together
politically.
> > One reason was the presence of real, invisible class force fields in the
way
> > of communication between the two groups."
> > (SLSL, 6 -7)