ATDTDA Webb Traverse

[mikebailey at speakeasy.net]

Daniel Harper wrote:
> 
> 
> The number of bilocations or similar themes that pop up in M&D also seem to 
> support some deep connection between the two works. In general, the concept 
> of dualities working together or against one another pops up often in 
> Pynchon's later work, ie Vond/Zoyd in Vineland. 
> 

YES!  The story of Webb mirrors that of SV, who I don't think gets
so very much less ink than Webb.  The story of Webb only makes
sense in the context of what SV tries to do to the world.  Its
interesting to track the way Webb's family coheres around him
though he's dead, while SV's family falls away and his primary
relationship is with his money and FW -- how ironic that he
says "a head for business isn't inherited" when the actual
head for business that he's using isn't even his own...
but in fact is the damaged head of his surrogate...

However, I tend to read Vond/Takeshi as the primary duality
in Vineland...
while Zoyd's main conflict is between ennui and love 
for Frenesi, with Vond as one of many obstacles on the road to love,
Takeshi's karmic adjustment business stems from a chaos-theory
rhizomatic, person-centered philosophy diametrically opposed to
Vond's linear fascism.
In fact I see Zoyd as a non-mirrored character - there's nobody
like him (except of course that all the hippies are just like him)

I'm prepared for catcalls, but I see Merle as the singleton,
non-mirrored character in AtD and the closest thing to an
emotional centre.  Merle's the closest to being Frost's 
"reasonable man" and best draws my empathy.  
He has what I consider to be sane impulses and drives, and 
(Terrance might be able to relate to this?) he is actually seen 
_working_ on numerous occasions.  In fact his work animates
his life, whereas for SV work expresses his drive for 
dominance, for Webb his work is merely an opportunity to
foment revolution, for Lew his work takes over his life...
etc - nobody has a cool attitude like Merle, not to mention
that he lives in a wagon like a gypsy.