aw. Re: Monk's motto or: Is Against the Day in favour of the Night?

[David Morris]

On 7/25/07, Kai Frederik Lorentzen <lorentzen at hotmail.de> wrote:
>
> >According to the quote, "It's always night" would be the natural condition of things, with light being the exception.  This is the case with the universe, isn't it?  At least literally it is:  vast amounts of dark void (and dark matter as well) with points of light widely scattered about.  But that's not necessarily a good condition.  That's why WE (not THEY) need light.
> >
> >Those that oppose light would be "against the day."
> >
>
> Hi David,
> I can see your argument. Makes much sense as far as natural light (sunshine) is concerned. What confuses me is the factor of artificial light, that is of fastly growing importance in the period the novel is covering. From electrification with its change of the urban landscape to full size industrialization (including war industry) and from photography and flashlights to the moving pictures on the screen. This is, (not only) in Pynchon's world, not necessarily a good development. How could this fit into your argument? Perhaps like this: THEY fight against the day (and the equilibrium of night and day!) by turning the night into an artificial daytime zone wherein limitless exploitation takes place over and over again. What do you think?

Well, I purposely avoided the second half of your question re.
artificial light because I don't really have a good answer or theory.
I don't remember reading in AtD that read artificial light as a (evil)
step toward industrialization/War, but I can see your connections,
especially if we read AtD as a step in the process that leads to GR.
But I don't know if that's a good way to read AtD.

I'm thinking the same way about photography.  Sure, if we connect AtD
to GR we know that photography leads to "pornography."  But in AtD one
one of the most pure characters, Merle, is a photographer, and via
alchemy/science he later becomes a sort of miracle-worker.  I think
AtD displays a somewhat less sinister view toward technology in
general.

But, like I said, I've nowhere near a general scheme of the
light/technology message(s) of AtD.

David Morris