Atdtda23: [45.2] The other one, 647

[kelber at mindspring.com]

TRP has two characters he likes to portray:  The Fool(or hedonist) and the more rational Seeker.  In V, these were Profane and Stencil.  In COL49, there was only Oedipa the Seeker.  GR was the most successful, IMO, because he combined both these aspects in Slothrop.  ATD works less well because there are too many Seekers (Kit, Cyprian, Lew and Yashmeen)and only one Fool(Reef).  Frank, Dally and Merle form a sympathetic sub-group (maybe Robin can figure which tarot card to assign to them).  Of course, Reef has some Seeker aspects, and Lew fits in with the sympathetic Frank/Dally/Merle group in some ways.  But there's a feeling of redundancy in the # of Seeker-characters, with Kit and Cyprian having experiences that might have been better left to Yashmeen.

Laura

-----Original Message-----
>From: rich <richard.romeo at gmail.com>
>Sent: Dec 5, 2007 11:16 AM
>To: Mark Kohut <markekohut at yahoo.com>
>Cc: pynchon -l <pynchon-l at waste.org>
>Subject: Re: Atdtda23: [45.2] The other one, 647
>
>Reef is not very likable, though he has his moments--He kinda belongs
>with Yashmeen, who mirrors him in unlikeability
>
>I think my favorite characters are Frank, Cyprian and Dally after
>finishing my 2nd read
>
>rich
>On Dec 4, 2007 6:08 PM, Mark Kohut <markekohut at yahoo.com> wrote:
>>
>> I remember the "affectlessness" of the anarchist bombing and
>> sorta thought it was a comment on them.....not good...
>>
>> and I gotta reread that scene with Lew and Lake......
>>
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----
>> From: rich <richard.romeo at gmail.com>
>> To: Mark Kohut <markekohut at yahoo.com>
>> Cc: monte.davis at verizon.net; pynchon -l <pynchon-l at waste.org>
>> Sent: Tuesday, December 4, 2007 5:18:10 PM
>> Subject: Re: Atdtda23: [45.2] The other one, 647
>>
>> the two scenes I can think of that seem very odd to me, in dialogue
>> and action, is Reef and Flaco during a anarchist bombing at a cafe
>> (they talk and act like, oh no big deal,as does the narration)
>> also, Lew's "rape" of Lake at then end of the book in LA--what the
>> heck was that about?
>>
>> i might've missed something
>>
>> iI also think AtD represents the world of an alternate map of V. ,
>> maybe a way of saying I was so much older then  blah blah blah
>> without sacrificing any of the "bone certainties"
>>
>> rich
>>
>>
>> On Dec 4, 2007 4:59 PM, Mark Kohut <markekohut at yahoo.com> wrote:
>> >
>> > Monte's bit of dialogue:
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > Yes, I think so: it's hard to find any dialogue that's *just* naturalistic
>> > chat, *just* a slice of life, because his thematic work is so dense and
>> > constant.
>> >
>> > Most two-hour plays have the word count of only a medium-length story;
>> maybe
>> > -- to the extent our expectations are shaped by more expansive novels --
>> > part of what we mean by "dramatic" is that more tends to be going on per
>> > moment of dialogue on stage than on the page?
>> >
>> > (I can feel this overlapping with that big old "are P's characters
>> realistic
>> > and three-dimensional?" can of worms)
>> > ____________
>> > I wanted to avoid all those canned worms.......
>> > and yes, your explication is what I was meaning to say as well as you
>> > have.....
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > Mark Kohut sez:
>> >
>> > > much of the dialogue in AtD  ... So often post, riposte or
>> > > variation of......like much drama  (or should that be melodrama?)
>> >
>> >
>> >  ________________________________
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