Melville and Pynchon

[Glenn Scheper]

I planned to write this young man (I hope it's college, not High School) how both Melville
and Pynchon have re-discovered the abject taboo christic realm of autofellatio, so, like all
the classic poet/prophets (and me), they have delved into mapping the religious metaphors,
and use this knowledge of relationships to produce isomorphisms of religion in their works.

If modernism, based on Cartesian doubt and individual freedom had not excluded such
unrepeatable "gnostic" knowledge of these very few, and concommittant responsibilities,
these topics would not be post-modern at all, but ground a very sexual monadic religion.

The reason I delay is that I only listened to the first 32 of 136 or so chapters of Moby Dick.
The reason I write finally is actually due to the Judas thread:
When Ishmael met Quake-Quake, a sort of mage-Jesus type, with idolatrous habits,
QQ divided his 30 pieces of silver with Ishmael, sort of a demi-? half the price of Jesus.
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Alex Anderson 
  To: pynchon-l at waste.org 
  Sent: Monday, March 27, 2006 8:49 PM
  Subject: Melville and Pynchon


  I am hoping to write, for my senior seminar, a paper outlining the influences Moby-Dick has had on the postmodern novel, especially structurally.  I was considering doing a parallel reading of Melville's text alongside a text written by an exemplary postmodern author and, naturally, Pynchon comes to mind.  I know that my parameters are quite broad, but if anyone could point me to any examples that they see in Pynchon's works that parallel, directly or indirectly, Moby-Dick, I would greatly appreciate it.  I've considered using Mason & Dixon, as the travel narrative and chapter arrangement seem to suggest some influences, but I think it would be quite difficult to argue for the influence of a novel written after the fictional timeframe of Pynchon's.  But I am certainly open to any suggestions or comments.  Thanks.

  -Alex-
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