VLVL What is Pynchon's purpose? (was

[jbor]

Paul:
> We shouldn't lose sight of the fact that ridiculing or satirizing SDS as
> it stood at the end of the 60s would have been fiddling work for a
> talented novelist--except as it might serve as an adjunct to what would
> hopefully be some sort of Pynchonean literary breakthrough. (didnt quite
> work out perhaps)

But isn't the split temporal setting of the novel meant to portray how what
happened back then (1968-9) led to what is happening "now" (1984), how the
implosion of "the Movement" actually went hand in hand with, and paved the
way for, "the Nixonian Repression" (71)?

I'm not saying that this might not also be a simplistic analysis.
 
> Things in SDS had gotten to the point where self parody was about the
> only thing left for these privileged 20 year olds to strive toward. The
> deluded souls actually were at the point of believing they were going to
> overthrow the government and that fellow citizens who chose not to go
> along with the gag had no particularly strong claim to life.

Yes, cf. Ditzah and Zipi Pisk flouncing away from the rout chanting "Powder
to the People!" (259)

best

> Of course the SDS critique of society was not that dumb-headed I would
> be the first to insist on.