GRGR Holocaust

[Richard Fiero]

At 11:19 AM 10/26/2005, Keith McMullen wrote:
>If someone who knew nothing of The Holocaust read GR, they would still 
>know NOTHING of what was done to the Jews.
>
>This does not mean that the novel does not address the issue.
>
>This does not mean one is a Holocaust denier by pointing out this fact.
>
>It does raise very interesting and important questions about why Pynchon 
>decided to deal with the Holocaust the way he does.
>
>If you have any doubts about the fact that Pynchon is NOT dealing directly 
>with the historical information, that he is presenting it solely by 
>indirect literary methods. Try and cite anything in the entire novel which 
>would educate someone who found the novel on a desert island about 
>anything specific about the treatment of the Jews.

Not disagreeing--the occurrences of the word "holocaust"
1.      on Page 69:
"... But this time Crutchfield only turns back to watching the distant 
mountains. Whappo sulks. His top hat reflects the coming holocaust. What 
the white man does not have to utter, however casually, is anything like 
"Toro Rojo's gonna be riding in ..."
2.      on Page 112:
"... rented room and the squares of coral sunset on the floorboards-an 
antique light, self-absorbed, fuel consumed in the metered winter 
holocaust, the more distant shapes among the threads or sheets of smoke now 
perfect ash ruins of themselves, nearer windows, struck ..."
3.      on Page 118:
"... It is unspeakably awful. Slothrop's head begins to reel with camphor 
fumes, his eyes are running, his tongue's a hopeless holocaust. Cubeb? He 
used to smoke that stuff. "Poisoned . . ." he is able to croak. "Show a 
little backbone," ..."
4.      on Page 134:
"... the arc-lamps crackle, furious, in smothered blaze up the centerlines 
of the streets, too ice-colored for candles, too chill-dropleted for 
holocaust . . . the tall red busses sway, all the headlamps by regulation 
newly unmasked now parry, cross, traverse and ..."
5.      on Page 205:
"... soul, all day-terrified he turns, turns out into the rain again where 
the electric lights of the Casino, in full holocaust, are glaring off the 
glazed cobbles. Collar up, Bloat's hat down over his ears, saying shit 
every few minutes, shivering, ..."
6.      on Page 415:
"... so far away . . . but it will burst out. It is the grim phoenix which 
creates its own holocaust . . . deliberate resurrection. Staged. Under 
control. No grace, no interventions by God. Some are calling it the planet ..."