VLVL2 (12): Pynchon's anti-RIGHT sentiments

[Tim Strzechowski]

220.29: "Zoyd had found a community living on borrowed time, as everyone watched the scope of the CAMP crop-destruction effort growing without limit, season after season -- as more state and federal agencies came on board, as the grand jury in Eureka subpoenaed more and more citizens, as friendly deputies and secure towns one by one were neutralized, taken back under government control -- all wondering when it would be the turn of Holytail."

http://caag.state.ca.us/bne/content/camp.htm

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2001/02/05/60II/printable269478.shtml

The passage above is one of the clearest anti-Right sections throughout the novel, playing upon the irony of anti-pot grower sentiment "growing without limit, season after season" as the government agency increases its stranglehold on maijuana production. Citizens are "subpoenaed" and "secure towns" are "neutralized" in an ever-increasing web of state and federal control, and the passage suggests a tone of mild paranoia as Zoyd et al wonder how long it will be before Holytail is ensnared by the government's control.

This passage reminds me of Chief Broom's many descriptions of the Combine and its control over the individual.

While this paragraph reacquaints us with Zoyd and Van Meter, it can hardly be argued that this is an example of Pynchon dipping into Zoyd's narrative consciousness; this paragraph is, in fact, thoroughly third-person omniscent.  As a result, this passage is a good example of Pynchon tipping his hand, ever so slightly, with anti-Right sentiments.

Tim
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