The phrase "Against The Day" in Mason & Dixon

[Guy Ian Scott Pursey]

Firstly, thanks Ian/Hank/Henry (whatever your real name might be) - I
shall be careful to use "NP" and "spoiler alert" whereever appropriate
and definitely won't be mentioning you-know-what anytime soon (he says
with a bruised wink).

Lots of interesting interpretations for a simple three-word phrase. I'll
try and summarise them...

- Michael suggests: Travelling east - that is in the opposite direction
to the sun and also (in present metaphorical terms) away from modern
civilisation (The West). Though in M&D, travelling east might mean back
towards civilisation...?

- Laura sez: "holding up for examination or comparison" to the "light"
or "enlightenment." I guess this could either be using the light to see
things better or comparing a thing to the light (of reason?) itself,
thereby making the thing something outside its borders or
capabilities...

- Leading onto David Payne excerpting from M&D: "contrary to Reason,
against the Day,".

- In the same excerpt David sent (hope you don't mind first name basis
btw) there's also mention to a "Gradient of Days" - so the phrase might
also mean racing against time. Something which the word "Gradient"
suggests is an uphill struggle for the two surveyors and their company
in this passage.

- Which kind of leads into my original understanding of the phrase -
which is against the idea of structured time or the "fascism of the
diary" as the Archbishop of Canterbury put it in some speech or other a
few months ago (I don't have a source for this but I'm just using the
phrase to illuminate something not provide evidence). Boundaries are, of
course, key to the plot of M&D and the Chinaman warns about the
consequences of drawing a "Perpendicular Line" and how it will create
"Bad History" (I'm paraphrasing; am w/t the book). Such a warning could
also be extended to include time as well as space (in fact, I believe
Mason says something to the effect of time being space unseen
somewhere). And so, to divide up our days and years with regular precise
lines would also generate "Bad History". Perhaps explaining the
inclusion of the illogical and surreal 11 Days.

- As an afterthough, the phrase might also refer to nostalgia - a theme
which seems to run through Vineland and around M&D (in that M&D's
language could be said to embody said condition). Unfortunately, I
haven't actually read AtD (and I have two copies as well...) Ironically
perhaps, this is due to a lack of time :-)

Hope this hasn't bored anyone. If I've missed anything out (or generally
misunderstood the purpose of this list) please let me know.

Guy