VLVL2 "No. Not enough" (239)

[Bandwraith at aol.com]

The role of "the prosecutor" in society has evolved. Its origins
are fascinating and can be traced along with other threads or
tendrils that make up the modern tapestry. Brock's actions go
far beyond what the legitimate role of  the prosecutor has
become, but in some ways, his actions seem to be a throw back 
to an earlier time, when it was as important to stem the progres-
sion of evil in the world, as it now is, to "lay bare the facts" of the 
case before "the public."

This reflects a change in society's notion of causality. In earlier
times, chance played little or no role in the course of human
events. Chaos was unacceptable and evil to the Greeks, for
example. The gradual and incremental advance of civilization
can be measured by noting a given culture's acceptance of
"chance" as a possible explanation for events.

When evil was a reality, with an independent exisitence in the
world, chance was not an option. What's more, evil was a force
which had to be confronted and defeated, to perserve social 
order. This was the role of the prosecution. In order to stem
the progression of evil, blood was often required. We flinch,
nowadays, at the thought of executing children, but we have
come to accept "chance" as a substitute for what once was
the clear sign of evil. In earlier times, it would not have been
enough to reveal the limitations, or humanity, of a guilty
party, thereby, destroying his credibility as an evil-doer.
The power of evil had to be confronted and defeated. This 
required blood- a sign that evil had been vanquished-and 
that order had been restored.

One of the hurdles readers come up against in trying to grasp
the meaning of Pynchon's _Vineland_ is the difficulty in recog-
nizing that what occurs between Brock and Frenesi is a struggle
between two different worldviews. Another, is the difficulty in
understanding that Frenesi prevails precisely because she "leads
with her pussy," and never gets "beyond that hippie shit." 

For some reason, accepting that Frenesi does prevail, has proved 
difficult for many readers. Accepting the existence of chance as
a reality, has likewise proved a difficult, but not insurmountable
hurdle, in the evolution of culture.

respectfully