Atdtda23: Well, things are kind of slow, 639-643

[David Payne]

Is this party reminiscent of the ridotto at Lepton Castle (M&D p. 410)?
 
 



> From: isread at btinternet.com> To: pynchon-l at waste.org> Subject: Atdtda23: Well, things are kind of slow, 639-643> Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2008 05:25:00 +0000> > Another take on fate with "the pit waiting in the shadows of near futurity".> Laughter is "somewhat louder and more anxious ..." etc. The party serves as> denial, the "ballroom murmurous with tiled fountains ..." etc somehow> outside history. However, anonymous "revelers" are pessimistic: "...> anything goes wrong up there with the trusts ..." etc. One might think back> to Bleecker Street on 348. The disappearance of Kit, bottom of 349--although> it will be a while until he is so identified--is echoed by Gretchen's> "propensity ... for disappearing" (640). Here, Gunther's "worried> expression" reminds us that, far from waiting for disaster, he is doing> business. And so is Frank, whose interest in rifles takes him to meet> Eusabio Gomes/Wolfe Tone O'Rooney. The party has brought together people who> aren't Mexican; but beyond that they have little in common, it seems. Ethnic> identity provides a mask. Within the narrative the party stages the> conversation between Frank and Gunther; their meeting might have taken place> elsewhere, but here it sharpens the contrast between the two scenes. At the> start of the section: "... louder and more anxious than in, say, the average> Saturday-night cantina" (639). A couple of pages later: "They found a little> cantina ..." etc (641).> > Wolfe Tone's reference to Reef (641) links him to Gunther, who brought news> of Kit (637); so in this chapter Frank has been reminded of both brothers,> which allows the political situation (and the shipment of rifles) to be> juxtaposed to the Traverse family's conflict with Deuce Kindred. Different> takes on the concept of justice. Frank himself mentions Lake ("that bitch",> 641) and even suggests that she might be "playin the long game": a covert> operation, then, not dissimilar to that being run here by Frank/Ewball/Wolfe> Tone.> > By the end of the chapter "their old jailmate Dwayne Provecho" (642) has> given Frank the opportunity to leave town (643). The chapter started with:> "Frank had sworn that once he was out of Mexico he was out ..." etc (637);> however, to the final page, there appears to be little happening in that> direction. As a narrative agent Frank is far from active here.> 
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