SLSL Intro "Two Amiable Fuzzy Creatures"

[David Morris]

--- Steve Maas <tyronemullet at hotmail.com> wrote:
> No matter how prickly, porcupines are indeed often thought of/portrayed as
"amiable fuzzy critters," as a few graphics below of many available  indicate. 
Are others of you suggesting that P. intended this as biological  commentary?
Now _that's_ funny.

What's funny is your obfuscation of what is being discussed.  Words have
meaning, and when writing and naming a character one intends to be "amiable
fuzzy creatures" it is curious that one would pick a creature known primarily
as being prickly (generally considered the opposite of "fuzzy" - Remember the
Charmin TV ad?).  In order toporcupinerocupine "fuzzy" you have to make his
quills soft (like the puppet you linked to), cartoon it.  It's of course
significant that the porcupine is at least the etymological kin of a pig, and
we know  Pynchon has a particular fondness for pigs.  But remember, Pynchon had
carte blanche for naming someone after an "amiable fuzzy critter," and he chose
a porcupine.

And I don't think either character in the story would be considered "amiable"
or "fuzzy."

David Morris

> "I thought it would be a cute idea for people named after two amiable fuzzy 
> critters to be duking it out over the fate of Europe." --Thomas Pynchon.

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