ATDTDA (18): 495-496 - Maps, time, connections and eastering

[John BAILEY]

Cyprian makes Renfrew's acquaintance - though really, he doesn't
particularly do so in the next few pages. In fact, we rush over a great
deal of time in this section and rarely alight anywhen for long.
 
Time and its relationship to both space and information take the fore
here.
 
Renfrew is obsessively amassing his "Map of the World" - not a literal
map, but an encyclopaedic record of everyone he comes across. He's made
nervous by the blank spaces in the map, information he hasn't yet
recorded, but it's pretty obvious where the flaw in this project lies.
 
A map that completely recorded every detail of the territory would have
to occupy the same space as the territory, remember - would be the same
size.
 
Add to his project the problem of time, though - a complete record could
never be final, since things change, and so not only would his map have
to be the size of its object, it would have to be constantly changing;
that is, occupy the same "time" space of the territory.
 
And of course Renfrew's record is ridiculously inadequate, a distracted
handshake from a dignitary inflated in his mind to become a generalised
psychological insight ("reluctant to look directly at anyone" or "small
hands, some evidence of early trauma").
 
But he's managed to enlist Ratty McHugh, somehow. The dream of totality
and omniscience has a powerful lure, and we can tie it in to the Chums
sections - all those all-seeing eyes floating above the landscape (and
"reality").
 
Renfrew is interested in Yashmeen - he sees something in her, though
we're not sure what. McHugh surmises that it's her "connections to the
east"...

The information contained in this e-mail message and any accompanying files is or may be confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, any use, dissemination, reliance, forwarding, printing or copying of this e-mail or any attached files is unauthorised. This e-mail is subject to copyright. No part of it should be reproduced, adapted or communicated without the written consent of the copyright owner. If you have received this e-mail in error please advise the sender immediately by return e-mail or telephone and delete all copies. Fairfax does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any information contained in this e-mail or attached files. Internet communications are not secure, therefore Fairfax does not accept legal responsibility for the contents of this message or attached files.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://waste.org/pipermail/pynchon-l/attachments/20070926/e49d7791/attachment.html>