The sea, the sea

[Ian Livingston]

Yes, Page, I have some work to do to get my forge up, but I think
there is something to the idea of the sea, shadow and darkness
aligning frequently in P's work, and ships seem often to carry
passengers and cargo ready for association with the concept of
"inherent vice", becoming a significant element in M&D, then again in
AtD.  Is it the soul that is so fragile, so flawed?  Or, rather, as
Jung would name it, the psyche?  We're not there yet in the group
read, so I don't know if  should explore the idea in detail yet, but I
will go so far as say it is worth noting the history of the Golden
Fang.

Oh,and, by the way, I did once do some tree surfing in California.
Long story involving a jeep, a log, a remote dirt road and a
significant array of intoxicants.

On Thu, Aug 27, 2009 at 8:33 PM, Page<page at quesnelbc.com> wrote:
>
> Ian, the only way I can see that you are reading too much into it is that
> the sea is absolutely necessary to the story. (To the best of my knowledge,
> it is impossible to surf in a forest.)
>
> However, to my mind, that does *not* mean you are reading too much into it.
> It seems to me safe to assume that when he lived in the area, Pynchon was
> formulating, cogitating about ideas, themes, et. al. that would show up in
> his books. It also seems to me likely that he was aware of the Jungian view
> of the sea.
>
> Perhaps look for passages specifically said about the sea (ocean)? The sea
> as more than backdrop or more than merely necessary for context. I will try
> to give it a shot.
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ian Livingston"
> <igrlivingston at gmail.com>
> To: "Mark Kohut" <markekohut at yahoo.com>
> Cc: "pynchon -l" <pynchon-l at waste.org>
> Sent: Thursday, August 27, 2009 4:31 PM
> Subject: Re: The sea, the sea
>
>
> Well, yeah.  But, perhaps I'm reading too much into it when I view the
> sea as a metaphor for the unconscious.  That is how how Jung speaks of
> it when he classes it among the deepest and most enduring archetypes.
> We know TRP read Jung thoroughly,yes?
>
>
>
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