VLVL 24fps and "the Movement"

[jbor]

on 17/1/04 11:06 AM, Terrance at lycidas2 at earthlink.net wrote:

>>> 
>>>> And, so, I guess I disagree that "Catholicism and Conservatism" are what
>>>> inform Pynchon's work. I think they cop the same sorts of sacred cow satire
>>>> as most everything else does.
>> 
>> Terrance:
>>> Oh sure, Pynchon hangs the Rocket round the Church's neck.
>> 
>> Well, no, that's not what I'm saying.
>> 
>> For example, in _Vineland_ he satirises Catholicism at 107.11, and he
>> satirises conservatism at 205.14.
> 
> Sure. Why not? Catholicism, however, is not an important target of
> Pynchon's satire in VL. We should take a closer look at how Modern Day
> American Evangelical Christianity influences the characters in this
> book. 
> 
> Catholicism is, obviously,  a major target in V. and GR, and  M&D.
> 
> 
> 
> When I say that Pynchon's imagination is Catholic (lower c catholic as
> well), I'm not suggesting that his novels or his essays can or should be
> read as Catholic or even Christian novels. None of them are. And I'm not
> saying anything about Thomas R. Pynchon's religious convictions or
> anything of the sort.

I don't agree that Pynchon's imagination is Catholic, or that Catholicism
and Conservatism are driving forces in the work. I don't think that the
Thanatoid "life after death" stuff is any more (allegorically) significant
or "real" than the space aliens or Takeshi's Monopoly card or Godzilla or
the astrology or Tube or other supernatural/mythological stuff. That's all
I'm saying, but I'm willing to be persuaded if someone can provide page nos
and passages to support this allegorical, Underworld, Heaven and Hell
reading of the text.

best

> Critics have been writing about the Puritan
> Pynchon  novels for years. It's an interesting and fascinating approach
> to his books. Hell, he's a Pynchon, Slothrop is one of his major
> characters. But so too is Benny, Paola, V., Mason.