ATDTDA (14) p 398: General Spoilers re the Chums' ending in ATD

[mikebailey at speakeasy.net]

Mark Kohut notes
       
    it is clear they are not a merry anarchic--in the sense of
    each doing what needs done naturally--band. They are
    'part of the problem" not part of TRP's solution.

That's true, and thought-provoking.  Let's remember,
though, that "doing what needs done naturally" isn't
a magical solution - even a believer in the anarchist
miracle isn't provided with problem-free people.

Stepping further (toward (Angela) Grace...)

1) "TRP's solution" - in general it's a lot harder
to generate solutions than pin the tail on problems
- for instance, Marx's critique of capitalism rings
pretty true, but (imho) there are great gaping flaws
in the whole "dictatorship of the proletariat" idea, eg
-- similarly, in GR, Pynchon implicated the assumptions
behind capitalism and industrialism in WWII, but
I don't think he expects anyone to set up shop in imitation
of the Counterforce described therein.  

2) it's not (again, imho) incumbent on a novelist, even
a great one, to give us a step-by-step solution for life's
problems, but I've seen enough good Pynchon criticism, and
gotten enough epiphanies and life-enhancing affirmations
out of the primary texts to think that something that 
could be called "TRP's solution" (not the same as the
7% solution used by Sherlock Holmes) might exist.

3) If the Chums are not the embodiment of that solution -
and I think you're right, they're not - what are they?
Characters who can be put thru their paces, partake
of problems & solutions - they can represent classes,
types of personality, and/or try to attain a simulation
of independent life transcending stereotypes (depending
on the intentions and skill of the author...)

4) Very loosely, the intertwined tales of the Traverses and
the Chums show at least 2 different approaches to life...
to work...to authority...to love -- and to writing about them.

4a) and what are those 2 different approaches?  I hope to
read a better explanation than I can come up with, but...

4a)(i) the 1st thing that springs to mind is the Chums are, 
like, postmodern in that the author is present, 
their tale is often tweaked like a prepared piano, 
there are unexplained gaps, there is a lot of
STRCH ("stuff that really couldn't happen") 

4a)(ii) whereas the Traverse story is told much 
more naturalistically, one event leads to the next,
and, except for the occasional talking parrot,
most of their happenstances accord with earthly
experience (don't they?)

5) One theme in ATD might be comparing these methods
of novelizing and the truths they expose?
     

    
>      They give all that up--for marriage, family, breaking with the >'corporation" and becoming
>    entrepreneurs, for an "earthly life"........as the fly off [between the 
>  Wars] into 'grace'.
>    [taking things as they are in Lew Basnight's epiphany]
>    Is all of the above 'the fateful discovery' that the band wishes they had > not adventured into?

Gosh, I hope not!  If there is a time in the novel
when they experience regret (that is, if the Chums Narrator
isn't either playing with us by giving false foreshadowing,
or if Pynchon isn't playing with the Chums-Narrator-concept
by making the Narrator inaccurate) maybe it's the time
when they are dealing with the Trespassers...     

Lindsay leads the way into marrying them off,
resolving many of their conflicts and replacing loyalty
to the Chums Command with loyalty to their spouses,
and blind obedience with autonomy?