Pynchon's Preterite

[Ghetta Life]

>From: "Joseph Tracy" <brook7 at earthlink.net>
>
> > From: Paul Mackin <paul.mackin at verizon.net>
> >
> > Pynchon appropriated the grammatical and general term "preterite"  
>meaning past or past tense to apply to the poor and wretched of the earth, 
>by analogy with those who are passed over, not Elected for Salvation, under 
>the theological doctrine of Preterition.
> >
>I sort of deduced something like that but am confused, because despite a 
>pretty good familiarity with theological language, I am un familiar with 
>the term Preterition. I know the term perdition, meaning lost, but it's a 
>different root word. Is Preterition a Calvinist term? any more info on the 
>history?

As with many things Pynchonian, his use of the word "preterite" is a playful 
coinage with numerous connotations.  Webster’s has it defined thus:

Main Entry: 1pret•er•it
Variant(s): or pret•er•ite  /'pre-t&-r&t/
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English preterit, from Middle French, from Latin 
praeteritus, from past participle of praeterire to go by, pass, from praeter 
beyond, past, by (from comparative of prae before) + ire to go -- more at 
FOR, ISSUE
archaic : BYGONE, FORMER

To be "passed by" is reminiscent of "passed over," which is the root of the 
name of the Passover celebration of Judaism.  I assume everyone knows the 
story of the last scourge G-d sent to Egypt whereby those houses whose entry 
doorframes were smeared with the blood of the sacrificial animal were 
“passed over,” that is, not visited by the Angel of Death.  Obviously in 
this usage to be preterite would have its advantages.  Of course the 
wretched in this case would be those not “passed over.”

Calvanism also obviously applies because it preaches that there is a 
“select” people (just as Judaism preached that the Jews were G-d’s “chosen”) 
foreknown by God to be saved.  All others are predestined to damnation.

Ghetta

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