IVIV1: Introducing Pynchon's burgher

[alice wellintown]

> Now, having defended the noble repo person / skip tracer,
> (pretty much sincerely)...
>
> One of the things I think is going on in IV as well as most
> noir fiction is sorting out the PI's stance on the cops.
>
> I'd call the PI - cop relationship a fairly good approximation
> of the dilemma of citizen v state writ small, which I bet somebody cleverer
> and better-read has already noticed...but it's sorta new to me...

The irony here, the parody, is on that word "private." As in privacy.
Larry abuses other people's privacy and their civil and constitutional
rights to boot. And, he does it, as Vond and Hector and Bigfoot, for
private reasons. He uses his power and his connections with the
corrupt Law, including "Law Enforcement" (you can't enforce the Law),
to satisfy he own "thinking with his dick" interests.



>
> Nobody's perfect - as somebody in Doc's profession certainly notices.

What of that surfer in the white baggies?

>
> Cops have such a broad mandate, a fuzzy agenda, that it's much
> easier for them to cover up malfeasance and stay employed.

And, they threaten people with all manner of uncomfortable
experiences. As Larry does.

>
> Cops have more power, are expected to stay busy all the time,
> they are supposed to enforce a rule of law, while it's human nature
> to be loyal to buddies, bosses (to some extent), to favor people
> who are like unto oneself....

don't think it is human nature, but Artistotle sez, birds of a feather
feather their nests.