ATDTDA 671ff

[David Morris]

On Jan 18, 2008 4:11 PM, Monte Davis <monte.davis at verizon.net> wrote:
>
> As I've said before, I think we're meant to be ambivalent about Webb's anger within the family and his terrorism without. Righteous terrorism? Fer shure. Terrorism in the name of the oppressed? Mos def. But even from the perspective of the Other Side, *he* is still ambivalent ("Could've done 'er different", 671)...
>
> And "the one thing his sons wanted, they wouldn't get tonight" (672).

Yep.  Like most things he writes about, Pynchon never works in black
OR white.  Webb's sons feel varying degrees of guilt for their failure
to avenge their father's murder.  Are we supposed to agree with their
guilt?

Which son is most/least noble re. requisite vengeance?  Which son is
most spiritually transcendent?  And one is supposed to be a traitor,
but isn't he the one ultimately most  transcendent?

And via Lake we're confronted with the question of parental
culpability for offspring's transgressions.  Is Webb responsible for
her straying?

All these questions don't mean ATD is good writing, for a host of
reasons, least of which is the 900+ page count.

David Morris