Chix dig Infinite Jest more than Pynchon/Vollmann

[Mark A. Douglas]

It seems, to me mind you, that the major female characters in IJ are as much
objects as characters:
	Avril = the strong/weak mother Mary
	PGOAT = just that: the haunted permanent engenue, scarred (whether
physically or mentally hardly matters)
	Helen = man in drag
	Denizens of the house = to various degrees, wounded beyond repair
	The female tennis players = unapproachable jock types (and let's not
forget that Wallace settled out of court over the personification of Kate
Gompert)

I don't think it's the treatment of women that gathers the mote here.  But
Wallace is approachable himself, and speaks to an age, apparently, and the
femme lit types do seem to go for that.  Not that I would really have a
solid notion of a) what constitutes a femme lit type, or b) what said type
would go for.

Peace

Mark

 

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-pynchon-l at waste.org [mailto:owner-pynchon-l at waste.org] On Behalf
Of Paul Mackin
Sent: Saturday, September 25, 2004 9:02 AM
To: pynchon-l at waste.org
Subject: RE: Chix dig Infinite Jest more than Pynchon/Vollmann

Infinite Jest was heavily involved with drug- and sports-addition.
Abstence including sexual abstenence was kind of a holy grail in the
book. Don Gately (the Slothrop of IJ) only X-ed women when he was drunk
or trying to score drugs in their possession. The treatment of women in
the book was exceedingly respectful. Much less objectification of them
than in GR. Nothing wrong with objectification but it might not appeal
as much to women readers as men.

X-ing was a Wallace term.




On Sat, 2004-09-25 at 09:01, Mark A. Douglas wrote:
> You should take that theory to the Wallace List, which is populated by a
> seemingly equal number of 'chix' as 'trix'.
> And normally, in debate with the guys, the girls win.  Hands down.
> 
> Peace
> 
> Mark 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-pynchon-l at waste.org [mailto:owner-pynchon-l at waste.org] On
Behalf
> Of Jazzy B
> Sent: Saturday, September 25, 2004 3:19 AM
> To: pynchon-l at waste.org
> Subject: Chix dig Infinite Jest more than Pynchon/Vollmann
> 
> Maybe it's something to do with the language. Infinite Jest worlks
> well for babes who swear by Prozac Diary!
> 
>