VL-IV role reversal in Vineland in a general sort of way

[Mark Kohut]

So, taking off from these obs and thoughts in the way 
a book might "generalize", as metaphor, its themes and societal vision:

Vineland America lost its 'maleness"..[controversial for discussion effect].
Women became the either-or aggressive acceptors of the power structure?

These characteristics ARE a kind of given, as MB says, wo what does OBA mean by that?



----- Original Message ----
From: Michael Bailey <michael.lee.bailey at gmail.com>
To: P-list <pynchon-l at waste.org>
Sent: Friday, February 6, 2009 11:13:14 AM
Subject: VL-IV role reversal in Vineland in a general sort of way

trying to share some more of the reasons I love this book so much...

it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to say that a stereotype exists,
wherein the male goes off to war or to work, and the female (hestia,
Penelope) keeps the home fires burning, and that some of the (quite
justifiable) anger in early feminism derived from a dissatisfaction
with it.  In Vineland, the roles are switched and the attendant joys
and pains of each role (to some extent) fall to the unaccustomed.

To wit, Zoyd keeps the house and the child, while Frenesi gets the
adventure and long absence, the infidelity.
He's the one who "marries up", has less education, and isn't taken
seriously.  Her people are the brawling "Wild-Westers" and he is the
schoolmarm.  Not only F/Z, but also the DL/T axis has this bias: DL is
the one who inspires at first physical fear in Takeshi, and then
protects him.  And it's her spiritual mentor who binds them together.

These characteristics are nowhere (that I can think of) remarked on in
the text, just worked from as postulates.
Taken for granted as other stereotypes in other tales are.


-- 
--
"Frenesi's eyes, even on the aging ECO stock, took over the frame, a
defiance of blue unfadable."