AtDDtA1: The Southerly Wind

[Nick Halliwell]

In Bleak House John Jarndyce uses the East Wind as a metaphor for general
unhappiness about the general turn of events, so the wind isn't actually
affecting his moods (not in any literal sense). Whenever something
unfortunate happens he tends to declare "I think the wind must be in the
East tonight" or something of the kind. On at least one occasion I'm sure
another character, probably Esther, says, in essence, "no it isn't, look at
the weathervane!" and JJ shakes his head and says sadly "definitely an east
wind, my dear". 

Basically it's one of those stock phrases (what we'd now call a catchphrase,
I suppose) and mannerisms Dickens gives most of his characters, especially
the more important but non-titular ones, such as Mr Micawber constantly
suggesting that something is about to turn up, Sarah Gamp's imaginary "Mrs
Harris" and a very long line of others. Generally he leaves only his hero or
heroine immune from these but then I'd imagine their original purpose was to
help fix these characters in readers' minds (see also the Dickensian names:
I mean, nobody's going to confuse someone called Mr Pecksniff with another
character, are they?) bearing in mind that Dickens novels were originally
published monthly over long periods and he needed readers to remember
characters they'd last read about a month previously, and snap them
instantly back into his world. So even minor characters are usually given at
least one such identifier. It is, of course, highly effective although a
century and a half later it probably comes over to us as a lot more stylised
than it did to the original Victorian readership which was used to serial
publication.

And that's about as erudite as you'll get from me.  

Nick

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-pynchon-l at waste.org [mailto:owner-pynchon-l at waste.org] On Behalf
Of Tim Strzechowski
Sent: 22 January 2007 22:42
To: Dave Monroe; pynchon-l at waste.org
Subject: Re: AtDDtA1: The Southerly Wind

This entry reminds me of how wind directions can have significance in
literature and film in general.  I'm away from my personal copies of things
at the moment, but Hitchcock's _North by Northwest_ is a reference to
Hamlet's lines re: madness to RosenGuildsterncrantz.  And in _Bleak House_,
Mr. Jarndyce makes repeated references to the wind as it affects his moods
(an "easterly wind," I think).  
 
Damnit, I want to quote things and can't at the moment!
 
> 
> A last-minute entry here, as it just now strikes me that both wind and 
> direction tend to be Of Significance in Those Pynchonian Texts, e.g., 
> on GR ... 
> 
>
[...]
> 
> North is not a positive place in Pynchon's world. It is associated 
> with anti-life---coldness as here---compared to the South, a place of 
> light and warmth, such as the tropics. See GR.... 
> 
> http://against-the-day.pynchonwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=ATD_1-25 
> 
> Further examples, explication, elaboration and comments appreciated. 
> As always ...