1984 Foreword "fascistic disposition"

[Paul Mackin]

On Thu, 2003-05-01 at 09:28, Paul Nightingale wrote:
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: owner-pynchon-l at waste.org [mailto:owner-pynchon-l at waste.org] On
> > Behalf Of Paul Mackin
> > Sent: 01 May 2003 14:13
> > To: pynchon-l at waste.org
> > Subject: Re: 1984 Foreword "fascistic disposition"
> > 
> > My approach to the paragraph was to try to understand and possibly
> allow
> > others to understand what Pynchon actually wrote. No "reading between
> > the lines" was permitted.
> > 
> > The one real "violence" I did Pynchon's language was taking out the
> > "fascistic disposition" reference. I did this on the grounds that it
> was
> > distracting to use such a harsh even if meaningless term on people
> whose
> > only sin was recognizing that under wartime conditions certain
> > restrictions on civil liberties are necessary.
> >
> 
> 
> I'm not sure what "reading between the lines" means. 


It means things like seeing 9/11 in "homeland."

Reading in a negative assessment of Churchill WWII actions, which is not
the one Pynchon necessarily subscribes to.

Introducing Stalin's "ongoing war against capitalism"

How's that for a start?

P 


> I think I know what
> you think it means, a kind of loyalty to "what P. actually wrote".
> However, if you're saying it's possible to separate, not just
> theoretically but in practice, the acts of reading and writing, then I
> suppose you've found something else for us to disagree on.
> 
> You then contradict yourself in your second paragraph when you describe
> a value-judgement that imposes meaning on "what P. actually wrote". Hmm
> ...
>  
> 
>