Vineland

[Michael Bailey]

thinking of Frenesi as symbol or representative, I think some of the
labor background, seguing into the counterculture, is important, ie
Frenesi's forebears

going back to the beginning of the 20th century where her grandparents
were both staunch Wobblies at a time when the forces of the - oh, I
don't want to call it "the Left" but anyway that whole crowd of people
who were looking for the next step beyond the institutionalized
feudalism that is the seamy aspect of capitalism - were arrayed
strongly and were actual contenders

before Woodrow "he kept us out of war" Wilson chopped them off at the knees...
before the stars of Gustavus Myers's "History of the Great American
Fortunes" had solidified their hegemony

and that couple stood together and kept the faith, "didn't mourn, but organized"

and then Frenesi's mom kind of flew the coop, sang in a swing band and
met up with her Dad, whose desire to work with the new lighting
equipment finally drove him to switch to Reagan's scabrous union - so
they had fallen away to some extent

by Frenesi's time, involving herself in a counterculture media project
- and a brave one - was the most happening thing she could do, but
confronted with the power and charm of Brock Vond, her underpinnings
just weren't solid enough to "just say no" -- I think of her acceding
to his desire as an instance of "Stockholm Syndrome"

those who oppose an existing regime often face a circumstance where
the power is on the other side, and the labor movement/peace movement
have seen many such moments.  who can really blame Frenesi for giving
up when it seemed inevitable that the Reaction win and its
personification "had use" for her

yet the Emerson quote at the family reunion points to a justice beyond
such "trials by combat"
and note that her mom and dad never stopped loving her either

I sort of like to trace all the labor movement back to who was it,
Pius XIIIth had a bull about social justice...

anyway, that's only one of the skeins in Vineland, it's an awesome
book I tell ye...


On 3/2/06, jd <wescac at gmail.com> wrote:
> That's definitely an interesting take on it, and I would probably say
> that Vineland is certainly more accessible to the public at large.  I
> am not a Frenesi fan though, and I get the feeling Pynchon might not
> be either - remember how he talks about that BS propaganda about how
> police are just doing their jobs, it's not their fault, etc...  maybe
> I mis-interpreted the tone but it seems like he was saying people
> complicit with it are still at fault regardless of job description.
> And Frenesi never had to do it, really, she pretty much went willingly
> to Brock.  I see what you're saying, but wasn't Frenesi an abuser
> herself, by supplying the gun that killed Weed?  And then near the
> end, there's Flash and Zoyd trying to get Prarie to explain why the
> hell they married her.
>
> On 3/1/06, Michael Bailey <michael.lee.bailey at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Vineland is a masterful commentary on the American scene, and on life
> >
> > Everything is in there, all arranged and arrayed to lead a reader into
> > greater awareness.  Frenesi's susceptibility to the charm of fascism
> > aligns with the human tendency to excuse abusers...
> >
> > so it isn't hate that I end up feeling for her, but a complex of
> > emotions having to do with regret and wonder (like, I wonder how she
> > could hook up with Flash, I wonder why she couldn't easily resist
> > Brock Vond, I wonder why Zoyd can't surmount the deficiencies of the
> > hippie persona to win her back - he obviously has skills)
> >
> > It's probably the Laura Bush in me ("why should I fill my beautiful
> > mind with thoughts of body bags" or whatever) but the absence of
> > extended scenes of war and colonialism, and the abatement of (what I
> > see as) the relentless harping on non-standard and oftentimes painful
> > sex/love relations in GR and V, make Vineland a much more enjoyable
> > read.
> >
> >
> > On 3/1/06, jd <wescac at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > So I'm finally getting around to reading Vineland, about 40 pages away
> > > from the end.
> > >
> > > What do you all think about this book?  I've heard a lot of people
> > > badmouth it...  it's certainly no Gravity's Rainbow but my opinion is
> > > that it isn't a bad book.  I hate Frenesi so far.
> > >
> > > I need to take on M&D soon, it's the only one of his that I won't have
> > > read after I finish this book.  However I really, really am having the
> > > urge to read GR again even though I've already read it many a time.
> > > This can not fly.  I have a lot on my shelf I haven't read yet, but I
> > > don't know if I'll be able to hold off.
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> > --
> > "Acceptance, forgiveness, love - now that's a philosophy of life!"
> > -Woody Allen, as Broadway Danny Rose
> >
>
>


--
"Acceptance, forgiveness, love - now that's a philosophy of life!"
-Woody Allen, as Broadway Danny Rose