VL-IV: Chap7- Floozy with an Uzi

[Michael Bailey]

point taken...

I hope you know that I think that I share many of your sensibilities.
Not in a self-backpatting way - it may be impossible for a male to
attain authentic feminist viewpoints - but I have a strong desire to
ally with all moderate and much extreme feminism.

I don't think Pynchon is depicting anything objectionable, or
objectionably...actually he's somewhat of a cultural arbiter for me,
so it's fairly urgent for me to air my reasoning because I place very
high importance on choosing the best exemplars in cultural matters.
I'm more than willing to change my stance on Pynchon, feminism or
other matters when confronted with convincing arguments to the
contrary, and to take up the best viewpoints with enthusiasm.

I remember you posted that GR was rather a turnoff for you due to
sexist preconceptions that seemed implicit in the text, and the
reasons you cited seemed to hold some validity, though I wasn't moved
at the time to dispute them or examine them more thoroughly.

I also remember you stating that you thought the welter of characters
created confusion in Vineland.  Since I'm a lot more emotionally
invested in Vineland, I am very interested in both feminist
considerations and character development as seen in Vineland and hope
that you will elaborate as much as possible so as to help me, and
quite possibly others on the list, to think these matters through.

(of the pix, 3 of 4 including 7 of 9, didn't speak to me, but I must
admit that Sarah Connor pic was rather fetching.  She'd be prettier
without the gun, tho...)

On Fri, Jan 16, 2009 at 2:05 PM,  <kelber at mindspring.com> wrote:
> Hi there, Jael ... uh, what are you wearing?
>
> http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlny/original/Lynda-Carter---Wonder-Woman-Photograph-C10101726.jpg
>
> http://innergeekdom.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/sarah-connor.jpg
>
> http://www.impawards.com/2001/posters/lara_croft_tomb_raider.jpg
>
> http://www.1956packardpanther.com/SevenOfNineJeriRyan.jpg
>
> Laura
>
> -----Original Message-----
>>From: Michael Bailey <michael.lee.bailey at gmail.com>
>
>>the violent femme has a long provenance: what about Jael in the Bible,
>>who nailed somebody's head to the floor? There is a certain
>>fascination there, but I'm not going to claim it's feminist, nor is it
>>very sexy.
>>
>>But anyway...
>>Pynchon's one of the good guys.  For a little context, let's wonder
>>what DL is doing at the wedding in the first place.  It's not too much
>>of a stretch to interpolate there's a business friendship between
>>Ralph Sr and DL, with the casual ass-grab punished easily (and with
>>impunity) - he admires her for her skills.  as we shall see.  So
>>more'n likely she's an invited guest, and from RW's asking about his
>>whereabouts, so was Takeshi - he's elsewhere engaged in their
>>business, whatever that is, but obviously it isn't congruent with
>>Wayvone Family business or he'd be there.
>>She is like Strider at the inn in the Lord of the Rings.  She may have
>>a bodacious car, but like Aragorn's sword, she's earned it and needs
>>it for her work.
>>
>
>



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