re Re: SLSL "TSR" - Buttercup

[Doug Millison]

"William Zantzinger" <williamzantzinger at yahoo.com>
>As far as I'm concerned very little has been said
>about this particualr tale.

What do you think needs to be said, Bill?


>I was hoping for a good old fashioned summary of the
>tale.

One has been provided.  Please supplement it as you feel necessary.



>Maybe some comments on the protagonist and
>supporting cast of characters.

We've made a good start, with your help.  I see no need to stop now.


>Outline of some of the
>major and minor themes.


Life, death, sex, God, chance, class, apathy, sloth, spleen, mediation --
what have we missed?


>The education/class stuff
>Pynchon mentions in his Introduction.


That's a good topic, which some of us discussed durign the Intro session.
Pynchon seems to find it a redeeming virtue of the story.  What do you
think about it? Why?


>Possible
>Influences, perhaps  Joyce, i.e., "wandering jew" or
>Hemingway, i.e., sex and death, Eliot, i.e.,
>fertility/wasteland.

We've mentioned Eliot, too.  Anybody you'd care to add? Why?


>How about the structure of the
>tale?
> It would be cool if we could get a look at a map
> of the story or even its historical setting and a
> chronology of the events in the tale. How about style?
> There are lots of allusions in the tale. What are they
> doing? The Dialogue?


How about it?  Those are all good topics for discussion, indeed, still rich
ground to plow even if we have examined some aspects of each already -- as
in the case of each of the Pynchon-L readings, the closer a reader looks
the more there is to see.


>working up a thirst on the dance floor while we wait
>for Jesus to work his magic on the water.


I expect you'll be waiting awhile; it's a group activity, not a solo
performance.


-Doug