atdtda: 31 - pg 869

[Mark Kohut]

Very thought-provoking post......deeper universal, human themes.....
   
  My first thoughts are that Pynchon IS pissed-off (great literary critical term--really. smile) at Revenge by both sets of parties.........................
   
  I think the Passion found in revenging Vlado's death is the way it happens out of his land----see that stuff on history in Rebeccah West and Balkan's Ghost---but, as is seen in these books and in History is an endless cycle of retributive death for death
  Prince and Cyprian here are 'working'.......in the corrupt world they have to survive in. Not good. 
   
  And Reef and Kit's 'revenge" is so piss-poor because it ain't exactly Hamlet's "justice"---which ends in his death anyway.  
   
  revenge is some kind of deep theme in TRP isn't it?.....it is the name of the play in CofL49.....does it underlay War as the metaphor in GR?.....it is here in AtD importantly......
   
  Mr 2 cents
   
   
   
  

kelber at mindspring.com wrote:
  I haven't had the guts or fortitude to tackle Proust, but another p-list poster (too farin the past for me
to remember) said that these detailed clothing descriptions were straight out of Proust. Not surprising
that he goes all out in the descriptions before plugging Remembrance on the next page.

Something that caught my attention on p. 869:

The discussion between the Prince and Cyprian about finding someone to avenge Vlado's death:

"'I have recently returned,' said Cyprian carefully,'from a place where it is much more difficult, at least
for the great Powers, to subvert personal honor. A place less developed no doubt than the sophisticated
cultures of the West, still naive, if not quite innocent.'"

Cyprian eventually recruits Vlado's cousin, Zlatko.

Now all of this seems to be kind of a slap in the face to Reef and Kit. It could certainly be argued that 
they spring from a place "less developed" rather than from the "sophisticated cultures of the West," 
(a nice play on the meaning of "West"). So why don't they have the same passion to avenge their father's death. Although they can't be bought off (Vibe tries this strategy with Kit), they're easily diverted. Not much passion in evidence. So we get Cyprian-Zlatko-passion-revenge-less-developed (anarchistic) = good, 
and Reef-Kit- no passion-no revenge- less developed (anarchistic) - seduced by sophisticated culture? also = good. Why isn't TRP more pissed off at Reef and Kit's behavior? Are they meant to be reflections through 
Iceland Spar of the noble passion of Cyprian and Zlatko?

Laura


-----Original Message-----
>From: Bekah 
>Sent: Apr 26, 2008 10:12 AM
>To: P-list Liste 

>Subject: atdtda: 31 - pg 869
>
>A couple of annotations from page 869
>
>869.20 salizzada - a paved street
>http://www.bellereti.com/jzimm/Venice/Calli.html
>
> Cyprian catches his first look at Reef, but his eyes are on 
>Yashmeen who is all decked out (so to speak) and Pynchon writes 
>fashion pieces with such zest, and perhaps a bit of possible 
>symbolic flavor.
>
>Yashmeen's dress is made of
>aubergine taffeta - a kind of eggplant/plum color on a crisp shiny 
>fabric with silver brocade trim
>http://tinyurl.com/3stvsp
>which is styled in a manner similar to:
>http://www.fashion-era.com/images/Silhouettes/1905dressbasqcen1000.jpg
>
>and she has claret colored (red close to burgundy) capeskin (a light 
>flexible leather made from sheepskins with the natural grain 
>retained) gloves and kid leather boots - same color. Her hat has 
>plumes of the same color (claret) and a brim raked to one side.
>http://tinyurl.com/5rk73z (scroll down)
>
>*** I don't know about you folks, but imo, aubergine (plum) and 
>claret (burgundy) clash if the tone - amount of light - is not 
>perfect - like Austria and Venice.
>
>http://www.ccfdesign.com/ASP/WebDesign/Articles/Web-Color-Chart-II.asp
>The eggplant in this sample is a bit grey imo, it should be somewhat 
>more purple - like what they call violet there.
>
>Bekah
>


       
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