VLVL2 (14): Father of the Year

[Paul Nightingale]

>From Tim S:

<<I recall at the beginning of our VL group read (it's been goin' on
almost three years now, no?) that someone commented on Zoyd's being a
lousy father.  Can't recall the evidence that person used to support
his/her statement, perhaps something about smoking a half a joint and
watching news footage of the window jump in Prairie's presence.>>

This was never an argument supported by the text, however; from the
beginning of the novel Pynchon has made Zoyd-as-parent central to the
way the narrative progresses. What might be of some interest is the way
he functions as a character following his reintroduction (ie the scenes
dealing with his marriage to Frenesi and Prairie's birth/childhood).
Certainly in the passage cited by Tim, as elsewhere, the text dwells on
Zoyd's parenting. In the first part of the novel, established in the
opening pages, Zoyd is playing catch-up, always out-of-synch with a
narrative that wishes to take on Prairie's odyssey. Beginning when he
meets Frenesi (280) Zoyd's return to narrative prominence sees him
learning to deal with the consequences of that meeting, not least his
responsibility for Prairie. One might therefore see this as a means by
which the character rejoins the narrative. Whether one thinks the text
supports 'good parent' or 'bad parent' readings, it surely begs the
question.