VLVL 3 Zoyd & Hector

[Otto]

----- Original Message -----
From: "jbor" <jbor at bigpond.com>
To: <pynchon-l at waste.org>
Sent: Friday, August 08, 2003 3:33 PM
Subject: Re: VLVL 3 Zoyd & Hector

> on 8/8/03 10:35 PM, Otto at ottosell at yahoo.de wrote:
>
> > Is that observation speaking against Zoyd being a naive
> > hippie or against
> > capitalism á la USA ("any deal in life, drug or nondrug." (22.5))
>
> Hector's last observation regarding Zoyd's character refers to
>
>     a timidity, maybe only
>     a lack of imagination, about the scale of any deal in life, drug
>     or nondrug. (22.5)
>
> Hector's point is that dobbing in the occasional dope dealer
> for cash isn't
> nearly as big a sell-out as Zoyd makes it out to be, especially in
> comparison with the other deals and compromises Zoyd has made
> along the way.
> Zoyd's priorities and sense of morality are askew; he doesn't realise or
> want to accept what he has turned into.
>

As I said before in a previous post Pynchon spares nearly nobody (except the
80's kids maybe) from his criticism. But I differentiate between naive young
people and malicious government agents. For Zoyd there has been no way out.

I disagree to Hector. Zoyd has been a good father for fifteen years. His
behaviour for getting the check is ridiculous, but that's all.

> > The point
> > that Pynchon makes is a good joke when Hector talks about "the
> > matter of drugs" (23.32-33) and stupid Van Meter simply gets it wrong.
>
> I think you've misread this exchange. Van Meter was being a smart aleck.
> Zoyd was the one who didn't catch on.
>

I don't think so:

"Aaaaaa . . . ," went Van Meter." (24.4)

after he realizes what he has said and done.

"That fatal-five spot was not the last (...)" (24.12)

So I guess this means it's been the first.

> > How could he tell bribe
> > from honest money?
>
>     Zoyd rolled his eyes as the bass player grabbed at the money. (24.8)
>

Yes, which speaks for Zoyd. Even if he got cheated later he never turned
"the dealer in to Hector" (24.27) because this is something you just don't
do if you want to keep your moral integrity.

> > I bet Zoyd & his family could have lived best without that interest of
> > fascist cops.
>
> Wha? Frenesi went after Brock, not vice versa.

Yes, because she has an affection for men wearing uniforms (which makes
sense to me given her family history). She was young and she had fallen
in love. I don't know how feminists think about this construction.

The way BV has treated Frenesi, abused her feelings, and Zoyd, is fascism at
his best.

> And Hector's no "fascist cop".
> Not even Zoyd regards him as this, nor does he regard Hector as his
> "enemy". That's made pretty clear all throughout these chapters.
>

No, not Hector, who seems to have still some kind of human feelings in his
sickness, but Brock Vond surely is.

> What's more, Hector has brought Zoyd information about Frenesi,
> information which he thought Zoyd might have wanted to know.
>

Because he wants another deal with Zoyd. Much later he says that families
should be together.

> And, to fulfil his part of the deal, whatever the deal is, Zoyd just has
> to go on as usual:
>
>     " -- be yourself, as your music teacher probably used to tell you."
>                                                             (30.11)
>
> Point being, Zoyd's already living the life of a government pigeon, has
> been for a long while.
>

I cannot see it this way. He had no choice when being forced into that
"deal" with BV. What alternatives did he have if he wanted to keep his
child? Point being, he's a good, loving and caring father, even if he cannot
know for sure if Prairie isn't BV's child. At the age of fifteen Prairie
pretty much can take care for herself which speaks for Zoyd's "education."

> And, meanwhile, Zoyd scores yet another free lunch off of the government
> payroll (32.33, cf. 30.17).
>

Oh yes, I see, big deal -- what did he do for this "bribe"? Is it really the
government payroll or Hector's private money? We'll never know.

Otto