VLVL2 (1): _Vineland_ and "Rip Van Winkle" (part 3)

[Tim Strzechowski]

continuing . . . 

"But rather than presenting the mid-sixties as the moment of ultimate freedom, Pynchon presents that time as the halfway point between a "green free America" and a "scabland garrison state" of the future (314). In San Francisco, the halfway point of his journey up the coast, Zoyd and Mucho Maas listen to and are comforted by The Best of Sam Cooke, "though outside spread the lampless wastes, the unseen paybacks, the heartless power of the scabland garrison state the green free America of their childhoods even then was turning into" (314). More is involved, however, than the simple modulation of a Democratic administration into a Republican one. Indeed, the fact that the Vietnam War was prosecuted by the administrations of both parties (and dramatically escalated by a Democratic one) suggests that party politics has little to do with the real change in America's political direction. As in Irving' s story, then, Zoyd's identity crisis points to a shift from one political order to another-in this case, from democracy to dictatorship. 

"In addition to these parallels, Pynchon counters Rip's "naturally . . . thirsty soul" (776) with Zoyd's once-regular marijuana use and tubal intoxication, physiological manifestations of the political apathy displayed by the majority of Americans since the 1970s. That there are reasons for that apathy is beside the point: Pynchon is not interested in excuses, but effects. As Pynchon himself put it in "Nearer, My Couch, to Thee": 

  In this century we have come to think of Sloth as primarily political, a failure of public will allowing the introduction of evil policies and the rise of evil regimes, the worldwide fascist ascendancy of the 1920's and 30's being perhaps Sloth's finest hour, though the Vietnam era and the Reagan-Bush years are not far behind. (57) 

"Neither is Rip's invocation of the tyrant George III irrelevant, considering the Reagan administration's systematic attempts to extend its authority while avoiding accountability. The message sent to Zoyd "from forces unseen" is that Johnson is no longer in the White House, and it is time to start paying attention (3).



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