Onomastics of Control

[Bandwraith at aol.com]

     "All those long, long notes... what're they up to,
     all that time to do something inside of? is it an
     Indian spirit plot?...

     ...tonight, "Yardbird" Parker is finding out how
     he can use these notes at the higher ends of
     these very chords to break up the melody into
     "have mercy" what is a fucking machine gun
     or something man he must be out of his "mind"
     32nd notes demisemiquavers...(p. 73, PL)

Not so secret integration (long, long notes) and here, differntiation-
thanks to "Yardbird"- complementary aspects of the same process,
used by the white man for control- Pynchon's incorporation of the
Fundamental Theorem of Calculus, which links both processes, into
the text. There is a hint of Snodd's explanation of same in SI to Tim
(p.186-187, SL) and the failure of any and all prisons- not too
mention white men's attempts to control everything and everyone.

The "old Mister fucking Death he self" in the middle of Pynchon's riff
on Indian spirit plots and uncontainable "Yardbirds" - this very 
complex yet simple example of inverting systems of control- is
probably another pointer to the dt of the final page of the novel, and 
where such control-worshipping ends up.

Names are important here, as reflected by the Malcolm X reference
to "true names". Pynchon shows deference to at least the possibility
of a true historical record- indigenous people proceded both white
euros and their black slaves, but he allows both "black" and "red"
skins to participate in this example of the artistic literary inversion 
of white control systems- both have shared in the historical reality 
of the american Holocaust, as targets of white genocide.

The main question for me is why shouldn't Pynchon be held
accountable for his artistic use of the sufferings of both
indigenous people and slaves, X or otherwise, for the greater
glory of his art of darkness? I think his only defense might be
that of demonizing of Pointsman, et. al, and providing insight
into the motivations for "scientific" behavior, as a white cultural
phenomenon. The literary device of using Slothrop, perhaps
against "his will," to distance himself from this artistic 
exploitation is not quite adequate for me. Pynchon's "Yardbird"
and "Red" are as white as he is.

Bandwraith
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