GR 'Streets' (death and/or afterlife)

[jbor]

on 21/4/03 1:34 AM, Terrance at lycidas2 at earthlink.net wrote:

> 
> Back to page 281 where Slothrp feels his ancestors and beliefs:
> 
> "yet he feels his own, stronger now as borders fall away and the Zone
> envelops him, his own WASPs in buckled black, who heard God clamoring to
> them in every turn of leaf or cow loose among the apple orchards in
> autumn...." 
> 
> Definitely very positive images. Puritanism, the Pilgrim, is not on
> trial here. 

Slothrop's ancestors "heard God clamoring to them in every turn of leaf or
cow loose among apple orchards in autumn. . . ."

clamour, clamor, n., v.i. & t. shout(ing); (make) loud appeal, complaint, or
demand (*for*, *against*, *to do*); (make) confused noise.

It makes them sound neurotic. Not very positive at all. Isn't the
implication here that they "heard God clamoring to them" to take action
(i.e. burning witches and so forth) whenever something went wrong with the
harvests or stock? Isn't it being compared to the "quaint superstitions" of
"Darkest Africa"? (281.26-7) And, in the immediate section which follows,
burning Jews?

best