Religious Fundamentalism in Orwell and Pynchon

[Paul Mackin]

On Mon, 2003-05-19 at 20:52, Terrance wrote: 
> jbor wrote:
> 
>  I noticed
> > recently a subject header which pronounced "1984 evoking 9/11". If that is
> > the assertion then it has to be asked, for whom is this evocation occurring?
> 
> Well, I can evoke it or not. It certainly makes sense to me. Why? Well,
> the questions that P raises are ones that we are asking about our
> government's reaction to 9-11. Does P mention 9-11? No. Does he say or
> imply that bombs falling ....ect is a metaphor for 9-11? No. But I can
> evoke 9-11 from a Foreword written prior to 9-11. 



> 
> I'm sure you agree. If you're teaching a GR to students in NYC post 9-11
> and they keep evoking 9-11, it doesn't mean that the students readings
> are wrong. Does P say anything about 9-11 in GR? Well of course not. 
> 
> I wouldn't label an evocation of 9-11 from the Foreword subjective, but
> it sure ain't 
> there in the text.


It's understandable for New Yorkers or even Americans in general to make
this association when they read about "bombs falling". No doubt any loud
noise would have not terribly dissimilar effects. However, such free
association of ideas does represent a momentary lapse in concentration
that has taken place while reading a  passage of the the foreword in
which Pynchon is still (early in the essay) attempting to describe
Orwell's state of mind before and while writing 1984.

Concentration is sometime hard to maintain in troubled times.

P