on The Family---for possible discussion re Vineland/TRP

[kelber at mindspring.com]

MacCauley is quoted and kind of serves a Baedeker-like role in the (minor, but decent) novel Andorra, by Peter Cameron.

Laura

-----Original Message-----
>From: Mark Kohut <markekohut at yahoo.com>
>Sent: Apr 24, 2009 10:39 AM
>To: pynchon -l <pynchon-l at waste.org>
>Subject: Re: on The Family---for possible discussion re Vineland/TRP
>
>
>I just wanted to offer these kinda meta remarks on Ms. Macauley's words.
>that have occurred to me. 
>
>Some metaphysicians say we cannot even conceive of the universe without
>having the concepts of space and time, at least.
>
>The human animal cannot survive without care by elders for a good part of its 
>earliest time in the world.  Let's call those caretakers Family, whether biological or
>otherwise.
>
>The greatest novelists cannot, analogously to metaphysicians,
> even conceive their vision without a concept of the human?
>
>Therefore of the human Family?
>
>I think Ms. Macaulay's remark might be part of the reason she is a minor British novelist.
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>----- Original Message ----
>From: Mark Kohut <markekohut at yahoo.com>
>To: pynchon -l <pynchon-l at waste.org>
>Sent: Wednesday, April 22, 2009 10:27:06 AM
>Subject: on The Family---for possible discussion re Vineland/TRP
>
>
>As to the family, I have never understood how that fits in with the other ideals — or, indeed, why it should be an ideal at all. A group of closely related persons living under one roof; it is a convenience, often a necessity, sometimes a pleasure, sometimes the reverse; but who first exalted it as admirable, an almost religious idea? 
> — Rose Macaulay (1881-1958), British novelist
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