SLSL "The Small Rain"

[David Meury]

Obviously, the phrase "small rain" seems ironic in the
context of a hurricane, but then, "slow learner" seems
ironic considering the intellect of the author.

But I do not think the phrases are just and only
meaningful from an ironic perspective. 
The story, "Small Rain," begins with "Outside, the
company area broiled slowly under the sun."  The setup
establishes a contrast to the title and the
significance of water to come.  Associated somewhat
with the arid landscape is Lardass Levine who is
described as "a seed that casts himself on stony
places, with no deepness of earth" (p.39).  

By the way, the alienation of a smart enlisted man is
certainly something Pynchon can identify with (note
that I am not asserting that Levine is Pynchon).

While the rain later encountered may constitute a
facing up to death, the idea of small rain may
represent a lesson, a watering which causes the wasted
seed to sprout.

Another "by the way", with regard to Pynchon's ear for
dialog:  in the '50s and early '60s, my family used to
vacation on a small farm in Virginia on one of the
backwaters of the Chesapeake Bay.   The farm was run
by my 80-year old or so great uncle whose father was
wounded in the battle of Antietam. (I include this by
way of establishing the authenticity of my uncle's
regional accent).

Although I cannot specifically remember his
pronunciation of "out," I was able to detect a
particular difference in dialect from my mother's
North Carolina drawl.  There was sort of a New England
pronunciation in words like "grass" which, as he said
it, rhymed with "moss."  The change in vowel sounds
makes me think that his pronunciation of "out" might
well have been in the neighborhood of "oot." 

Since Dugan is a Virginian and Pynchon probably spent
some of his Navy time at Norfolk, Virginia, well . . .
 

And, for something completely different:

TCC-3: Lightweight telephone terminal
http://hereford.ampr.org/millist/pic/tcc-3.jpg

AN/GRC-10 Radio Set
http://hereford.ampr.org/millist/pic/grc-103.jpg


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