First Couple-Three Pages: 6/11 - ATDTDA (11): 296 - 326 --The Deep Read:

[Mark Kohut]

 I will, my way of reading, focus on the language choices of Mr. TRP as they reveal themes
  and vision.  I'll offer some impressions and hope y'all will add some
  and/or elaborate/disagree. 
   
  I know Paul will kick in soon with his terrific summaries of
  the storyline. But we start with Frank visiting a livery to rent
  a horse to visit the Little Hellkite mine. [Misc. Rogers Brothers
  of the livery, one letter different, seem to have been silverware makers of the last century]
   
  Hellkite mine. a hellkite is a fierce fighter. A kite is a bird of prey
  in the falcon family.  Birds of Prey everywhere in ATD.......tell me more.
  (Macbeth shouts "O hellkite" to Macduff over his actions. See the wiki and
  the play)
   
  Frank: "horseless riders jostled after some advantage not clear to him". American
  society/capitalism in action?   
   
  Why must Frank worry, impersonally, about Bob Meldrum and his rifle? Related to
  the above? 
   
  Notice the noisy metal everywhere motif. "buggy hardware", glockenspiel, framers' hammers
  and wagon traffic. "metal groaning overhead" "hum of the voltage louder than the cicadas"....
  And the smell.  Pynchon's vision of 'the industrial revolution' again and again?   Compare and contrast with other scenes that come to mind.
   
  "The longer he stayed in this town, the less he was finding out". Reminded me--did it you?---
  of Benny Profane's cry late in V. that he'd learned nothing so far.....connection?
   
  p.297. What is the significance of Frank wanting to see "a white horse" with a black rush of hair?  Horses in ATD? Horses as visions in ATD?...remember those black horses and riders   in CoL49?  
   
  "the wind became sovereign".....reminded me of lotsa wind in action in M & D. Thoughts?
   
  The hauntedness. Tommyknockers. "the presences that moved quickly as marmots". That animal again!  Thematic. How? Remember that Indian mound in M & D and other instances in ATD?    Do tell. 
   
  p. 297 "oxygen-short circus parade".....Circuses in TRP. Connect. 
   
  p. 298 key Title Meaningful Phrase; "turning from the day"...as he, Frank, enters the mine. 
  Parse this, to me, wonderful line: "into the nocturnal counterpart behind his own eyesockets, past any after-images of a lighted world".   Cf. It's always night or we wouldn't
  need the light."  ?
   
  Dally's voice. How does it characterize her?  
   
  Dally/Merle's relationship. Dad's "educating her" for life...."it's damn college" vs. need for independence. How much 'tenderness' do you see in theri relationship? How much "keeping cool but caring"? in TRP's early phrasing.
   
  Here's the big essay question of the day:  "the wide-open promise of desire unleashed"...
  What does this mean in TRP's vision?....oxymoronic?.......'desire unleashed' might be
  taken in other books, in our usual conversation, as a bad. destructive thing.....why does it hold "wide-open promise"?......
   
  Enuff for now. Thanks.
   
  Mark
   
   
   
  

Note: forwarded message attached.

       
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