Slade: Group Theory in Vineland

[jbor at bigpond.com]

Galois
http://www.galois-group.net/

James Gibson
http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/~philos/MindDict/gibsonj.html

'Communication, Group Theory, and Perception in _Vineland_' by Joseph 
W. Slade.
_Critique_ 32, 1990, pp. 126-144. (pdf)

best

On 18/04/2005 jbor at bigpond.com wrote:

> Essay (pdf) by one-time p-lister, discusses _Vineland_ in the context 
> of Foucault, New Historicism (Greenblatt's "cultural artefacts") and 
> mathematical Group Theory:
>
> 'The New Historicist Creepers of _Vineland_' by Mark Robberds.
> _Critique_ 36.4, 1995, pp. 237-248.
>
> Excerpt:
> "Although references to science and technology are not as overt in 
> _Vineland_ as they are in Pynchon's other works, Joseph Slade has 
> located a number of references to Galois's Group Theory in the text. 
> Slade claims that the character of Weed Atman seems to be modeled 
> closely on the historical Galois. Both are characterized as brilliant 
> mathematicians who became involved in radical political organizations. 
> Slade also points out that there are many passages about light in the 
> novel that reveal the application of Group Theory to perception by the 
> psychologist James Gibson. [...]" (241)
>
> Robberds' discussion is well-constructed and worthwhile . Like most 
> readers, he recognises the ambivalence/s at play in the text. He asks: 
> "How clear-cut are Pynchon's politics in _Vineland_?" (243)
>
> best
>