MDDM Ch. 78 Longitude Tables

[jbor]

on 23/9/02 1:26 AM, Dave Monroe at davidmmonroe at yahoo.com wrote:

>> I suspect there might be a little bit more to this
>> last chapter, and Mason's death-bed vision of "a
>> great single Engine, the size of a Continent"
>> (772.17), than a logarithmick solution to the
>> problem of the Longitude.
> 
> Then again, there are those enigmas as well.

Yes. But I get the sense that fixing up Mayer's Tables for the R.S. is
fairly basic work for Chas, and that there's something more personal and
essential about his latter renunciation of "the real Sky" (762.13-4).

I think the most stunning thing about the last chapter, and it's so subtle
that you almost miss it, is Mason's admission to Franklin that he has become
a Deist (772.25). Rather than a death-bed conversion, he's recanted his C of
E faith. It's as if he's finally come around to Dixon's way of thinking, and
it reminds me too of Slothrop's sudden spiritual (re?)awakening in GR.

I also think that Mason tricks Franklin into coming to his bedside, with the
promise of some shady deal on a new invention (772.23). I think Chas is in
reality more concerned that Mary and the kids will be well cared-for in
America after he dies, which Franklin's say-so will ensure (773.1, 760.13),
and Mary panders to Franklin's ego too (761.11-12), perhaps even on Chas's
coaching. At the end Mason's not really interested in imparting those
"messages of Great Urgency to our Time, and to your Continent, Sir" to Ben
at all ... "as if it didn't matter much what Franklin thinks" (772.15).

best