Webb Traverse

[kelber at mindspring.com]

I agree that Lew stands out much more in this slow reading, than he did in my first, faster reading.  Lew interacts with most of the other characters in the book, whereas Webb's confined to Colorado and his family (he does meet Merle and, very briefly, Dally).  Webb, aside from having a double life, is a pretty straightforward character who doesn't have the mystical/hallucinatory experiences that Lew has.  Lew may get blasted through a portal leading eventually to London and the T.W.I.T.S, Webb ends up being tortured and murdered in a solidly realistic scene.  So Webb=realism, Lew=mysticism might explain why the first stands out in the hurried reading, the latter in a more contemplative reading.  Kit, I guess, is somewhere in between.

Laura

-----Original Message-----
>From: robinlandseadel at comcast.net

>
>In the first reading, the Death of Webb registered as the central event in the 
>book. In the second reading, Kit's journey registers as the primary vein of 
>Gold,  In this third---and considerably slower---reading, Lew's story is 
>emerging as the most interesting and revelatory story thread, with arrows 
>pointing to threads from Gravity's Rainbow, the threads I found most interesting 
>in what is, so far, generally regarded as Pynchon's best novel.
>
>Purple is the color for the Spiritual and the Occult, and the section near Lew's 
>blast and subsequent recovery are covered in purple post-its. I would go so far 
>as to say that we are given some clue as to Webb's magical intent when we 
>are introduced to him. Perhaps that has some bearing on the direction that Lew 
>was thrown into. Or maybe it was the Cyclomite, Nicholas Nookshaft would 
>doubtless say both were responsible, along with Lew's superb reflexes and 
>keen thought processes.