VL--IV Passivity, more active thoughts

[David Morris]

I agree that they're as deeply developed as "the next" Pynchon
character.  That "cardboard" issue has been tossed around here
sufficiently.  The problem with Frenesi &  Lake is that they take
life-path choices that **require** some deep explanations ( because
they significantly & negatively affect their own families as well as
the major plot turns of the books), but the author doesn't
sufficiently supply them.  So we are left to puzzle away, assuming
some depth which eludes our perception.  That's a deeper, but related
issue to the "cardboard" one.

And, you're right, there does seem to be a pattern:  duplicitous
female betrays those that love her, turning to the dark side that is
so evidently evil that her motives seem beyond the common man.  I
think Pynchon is employing an archetype of female depth somehow in
tune with the natural darkness of things as they are.  Pynchon
generates symbolic relationships, not characters.

David Morris

On Tue, Jan 6, 2009 at 11:41 AM,  <kelber at mindspring.com> wrote:
> I think they're as developed as the next Pynchon character.  It's kind of disturbing for me as a feminist that he's chosen to portray two duplicitous women (with counter-agent Katje as a third).  These aren't demeaning portrayals of women -- none are bimbos or bitches -- nor are they bad guys (Frenesi's no Brock Vond, Lake's no Vibe, Katje's no Weissmann).  But why are these morally equivocal, duplicitous types all female?  Or maybe I've just missed their male counterparts?  Any suggestions, anyone?