SLSL Intro "Racial Differences"

[jbor]

>> It may turn out that racial differences are not as
>> basic as questions of money and power, but have served
>> a useful purpose, often in the interest of those who
>> deplore them most, in keeping us divided and
>> relatively poor and powerless. (p.12)

There are a couple of ambiguities here for me. By "racial differences"
Pynchon could mean either "differences" (i.e. physiological, psychological
etc differences) between groups of people from different cultural
backgrounds, which is a concept I have a bit of a problem with, and which
would require some supporting explanation, or he could mean "differences"
(i.e. disputes, disagreements) between groups of people from different
cultural backgrounds. Like the Watts riots, for example.

The word "deplore" is not one you would normally use in connection with
"racial differences" in the former sense. What would it mean to "deplore
[...] racial differences" in that context? Racists don't "deplore" those
(perceived) "racial differences" at all, they celebrate them, and
discriminate against other groups on the basis of them. The second
possibility, that he is talking about disputes between ethnic groups, suits
the verb "deplore" better (but still doesn't quite nail down the "those").

Anyway, the statement that "racial differences ... have served a useful
purpose ... in keeping us divided and relatively poor and powerless",
whichever way you interpret "racial differences", would seem to predicate
the use of the modifier ("useful") as sarcastic. It makes a lot more sense
to me to read "racial differences" as "racial disagreements" here too.

MalignD's attempt at an alternative reading of the "but have served a useful
purpose" clause doesn't quite gel for me, grammatically-speaking, because
the "those" and the "us" necessarily refer, or should, at least, to distinct
categories. (...?)

Nonetheless, I do tend to agree that the sentence is, at best, unclear and
in need of some elaboration.

best


MalignD:

> I too found this the most interesting sentence in the Intro and spent some
> time thinking about what was being said.  I think it can be read two ways
> but, as they are mutually exclusive, only one way or the other.  "... served
> those who deplore them most ..." can be read as meaning "serve the interests
> of those who deplore them most" which seems to me a deeply cynical statement
> and, by that, wildly provocative.  It can also be read to mean "serves to
> keep divided those who deplore them most"; i.e., works against the interests
> of those who deplore them.  I think the latter is what is intended, if only
> because the first reading would certainly call for some elaboration on P's
> part.  How would those who deplore it be served?  By providing them careers
> and reputations heroically working in the movement?  Or ... what?
> 
> If the latter, it makes more ready sense, saying simply that black and white
> poor are more joined in their shared poverty (and lack of power) than they
> are separated by their racial differences.