VLVL Ditzah

[jbor]

> The Jewish Afro (or Jewfro) is not associated with African-Americans,

The word "Afro" is a diminutive of African. I know what the style is, and it
is indeed quite possible that the "matching oversize" version of it the
sisters "were going around ... with their hair in" is the result of a visit
to the salon, in my opinion. I think the wording is important: if Pynchon
had wanted to imply that the sisters had let their hair grow out naturally
he would or could have worded it differently than he has.

>> Even
>> the Tupperware detail suggests that they were rich kids.
> 
> Tupperware parties were a mainstream phenomenon. Tupperware products are
> hardly associated with the rich and privileged. They were certainly seen in
> middle class households.

I agree that the detail suggests that they had a privileged middle class
upbringing in NYC. "Apartment living" in NYC in the '60s does not
automatically imply lower middle class or working class, as it might in some
other places, as I'm sure you'd admit.

> Regarding Danish, I assure subscribers that they're not a pastry associated
> with the wealthy. As I said, they're more on a level with donuts. In fact,
> they're arguably lower-brow because one can slice away at a Danish,
> stretching it out for days or sharing it with, say, family
> members--economical for anyone who wants something sweet to go with the
> morning coffee.

There's Danish and then there's Danish, of course. It's misleading to assert
that it is only or typically a pauper's food. I think it's rather improbable
that Ditzah likes Danishes because she can stretch them out for days and
share them with family members. Her comment implies quite the reverse, that
she had been accustomed to going out and getting a Danish for herself in NYC
whenever she felt like it. At her leisure.

> Regarding "ritzy department stores," etc

All very interesting, I'm sure, but, again, I think Zipi's complaint about
Magnin's not being a "major store", but being "OK for a shopping center,
somewhere on Long Island perhaps", is more an indication of her propensity
to shop than corroboration for your suggestion that she comes from a poor
family.

> This is the full context:
> 
> "They found West Coast people 'cold and distant' as invariably as they
> remembered apartment living in the Big Apple being all 'warm and
> neighborly.'

Indeed it is. It is "people" rather than "living conditions" which is the
subject here, the theme part of the sentence, and reinforced in Zipi's
elaboration which follows ("*We* are not the ones ... "). They are
discriminating between *people*, not places.

As I said, we'll have more opportunity to test these differing impressions
when we meet up with the sisters again in coming chapters.

best