Holding up a mirror...

[Tim Strzechowski]

>
> Disagree. I don't think P writes morally ambiguous fictions.
>
>
> How does the novel do that?
>
>

Any text that can be considered "ambiguous" achieves this ambiguity by
presenting both sides of a particular situation and giving the reader little
or no bearings for how s/he should resolve the ambiguity.

In the case of VL, I think our discussion for the past few months has served
to establish the various ways in which Pynchon achieves this in the text.
Since up to this point in our reading the most fully realized character is
Zoyd, we've established that he may be viewed either as an ex-hippie
Pynchonian schlemiel who is content to "get by" with minimal effort (an
annual window jump + odd jobs), who cares for his daughter, who has *tried*
to remain aloof of the conspiratorial Hector, and whose marriage and general
existence has been manipulated by Brock Vond. On the other hand, we've also
established that he is also a sell-out to the government and its economics,
a father of questionable ability, and part and parcel of the 1980's economic
and political agenda while trying to represent the antithesis of all that
means "selling out to The Man."

Further, given the fact that many listers have argued both ways whether Zoyd
is to viewed as a sympathetic character is testament to the balance with
which Pynchon  has drawn this character.  Similar to the reader's reaction
to the title character(s) in Melville's _The Confidence Man_, we are given
(by Pynchon) reasons to believe one thing about Zoyd, and then P slips in
support for the other belief, all the while never *really* giving the reader
moral bearings on which way is "right" (although some readers might claim to
be privy to what is right).

Got a kegger to host.  See you all tomorrow.

Tim