NP Best Wishes/Catching Up

[Paul Mackin]

On Nov 8, 2006, at 3:55 PM, Joe Allonby wrote:

> As for Slothrop's flatness how about this developing him as a  
> likable protagonist capable of very unlikable acts during what is  
> obviously a highly stressful experience in a combat zone? The  
> effects of war on otherwise normal men?


This has the advantage of giving the  passage meaning beyond just the  
lives of two little people.

Both scenes are dreamlike (or actual dreams), crying out for broad  
interpretation.

Part of our collective consciousness of War . . .

>
> On 11/8/06, David Morris <fqmorris at gmail.com> wrote:
> I think P intends to send the message that Bianca has been corrupted,
> that she's not innocent, pure or even young in the normal sense of the
> word.  Still Slothrop sins when he makes love to her.  He falls for
> her depraved act, and later, when he finds her hanging, he has his
> face pushed down into his own shit, and he repents.
>
> As for Franz, his whole story is one of coming to grips with his  
> own depravity.
>
> David Morris
>
> On 11/8/06, Paul Mackin < paul.mackin at verizon.net> wrote:
> >
> > On Nov 7, 2006, at 4:28 PM, Carvill John wrote:
> >
> > > Wonder why the discussion about Slothrop & Bianca never got off  
> the
> > > ground? I know there has been discussion on that subject before,
> > > and there is that article explaining that BIanca is (maybe) not as
> > > young as she seems, but to me the key question is - why does
> > > Pynchon put that stuff in his books? Why have a scene like that
> > > between Slothrop and Bianca, or the imagined incest on the boat
> > > between Franz and what may or may not be his daughter?
> > >
> > The most obvious answer would be that the passages are allegorical.
> > It would be very  boring to expend a lot of verbiage describing how
> > nations of Europe have continued to trick, lie to, and pillage each
> > other,  but a steamy scene of  unlawful sexual temptation, desire  
> and
> > ravishment may implant the idea at a subconscious level..
> >
> >
> >
> >
>

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