VL-IV pgs. 98/99: Postmodern Mysticism

[David Morris]

I think he uses these topics as metaphorical frameworks, embodying
some abstract non-literal concepts wholly separate from math,
mysticism, etc.  So a cusory understanding is all he needs to employ
them for his own purposes, sort of like his development most of his
characters.

On Thu, Jan 22, 2009 at 9:05 AM, Ray Easton <kraimie at kraimie.net> wrote:
>
> I've no idea, of course, what Pynchon's actual knowledge of any subject matter is.  But his knowledge of mathematics as displayed in AtD is certainly superficial.  In the case of the math, I've concluded that the details of the mathematics present in AtD have in fact no meaning at all -- that all that actually matters is that the characters are wrapped up in this activity.  I lack the knowledge to have a good basis to draw the same conclusion about his use of the occult, but I wonder if this case is not similar.
>
> Ray