ATDTDA (3) Dynamitic mania, 80-86

[Mark Kohut]

I'm going to throw this out for discussion. Here is how I see (some of) the major meanings in the ending. The Chums have been 'fictions', characters in adventure fictions......part of the optimistic, unreal---the "daylight fiction" of the Exposition for example---who then become 'real"....leave the Organization, the Authorial Control, find mates and settle into a largely-happy middle class life-----grace, as we explicated----and, to pick up on something Robin said, a (non-violent) anarchism, each working it out in a good family is where such "anarchism" exists.......in a happy family life......
   
  BUT, per Lew on grace: nothing can be changed. WW1 has happened, their lives are projected forward---see Pugnax' [Dog of War] pups......GR and WW2 are coming, are inevitable    
   
  
AND, per that cruise ship that turns into a destroyer, the middle class is part of the historic problem of war, always has been.......

mikebailey at speakeasy.net wrote:
  Paul Mackin responded:
> On Mar 1, 2007, at 6:48 AM, Tore Rye Andersen wrote:
> > Paul Mackin:
>>in Roth's "The Plot Against
> >> America," we REALLY REALLY want the book to end with the "Roth"
> >> family somehow restored to its pre-Lindberghian happiness? I
> >> didn't have anything like that emotion about the resolution of
> >> AtD. I only admired the symmetry of it.
> >
> > I'll freely admit that my example of reader engagement was parodic,
> > and even childish - just trying to have a bit of fun.
>
> Yes, I know. But that fun if left standing could score a point,--
> namely that novels with strong characterization are inferior to
> novels without it. Not saying you intended to score such a point.
>
> I know, it's not ABOUT scoring points.

I think it's about appreciating Pynchon, and to some extent getting to 
know what each other are (is?) bringing to his (or her) reading. It sounds 
as if you're fixin' to be a bit less fond of AtD than of, say, 
GR...I think AtD's just much smoother, but has as much playfulness...

Interesting point about P not being primarily a characterizer.
I think Terrance (and where the heck IS he lately?) awhile back 
hyperbolized about Mr P's novels having no characters at all in them - 
I tried to draw him out by posting the thoughts his assessment 
engendered in me...it's tempting to ramble on about Burgess's Enderby 
saying "no, poetry isn't about emotions, it's about Words" and how I 
don't disagree exactly, but tend to despite that read texts emotionally 
(even sentimentally) 

>>The fairy-tale ending of AtD is even more contrived, as
> > you point out, but deliberately so: I think Pynchon gives us this
> > ending as a deliberate contrast to all the sad events preceding it,
> > hoping that the reader will see it for just what it is: an
> > unrealistic ending to a depiction of some very real historical
> > events. 

Well, maybe...what if the novel is like the Globe theatre, and there's 
sort of a tiered effect, whereby the Chums are in the balcony, 
representing those for whom life is a comedy because they think?

Then down on stage you have the family drama taking place; a-and 
Lew Baswell's working security, and that Cyprian is up in one of the
boxes with dowagers and pearl necklaces...

Escher staircases connect the various levels so that Cyprian and Lew can be directly involved with the stage action, but the Chums's viewpoint and activities are rather distinct. There's probably an interplay or counterpoint but I haven't pinned that down yet. There's something that could probably be said too about the paradigm of life as part of a family versus life as part of a quasi-military operation (or in a milder form, as part of a workplace) --compare and contrast: note the way that acceptance of the discipline of military life has given meaning and greater freedom to many over the years when they weren't being blown to bits or traumatized by hurting others; and is Pynchon linking the persistence of family loyalty with the revenge ethic?

> > and even though I to some extent believe that "The World
> > is at Fault", to quote from Pynchon's comments upon Marilyn
> > Monroe's death, 

Pynchon made comments upon Marilyn Monroe's death? Thanks for mentioning that - found them here http://against-the-day.pynchonwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=The_World_is_at_Fault






 
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