C of L 49: "That's how it is..most of the time."

[Paul Mackin]

On Tue, Jul 14, 2009 at 10:34 AM, Campbel Morgan<campbelmorgan at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> From: Paul Mackin
>>>
>>> But doesn't the satire seem particularly directed at the anarchist types?
>>>
>
> No. I disagree. It is not particularly directed at these character types,
> although these types are treated with soft satire and are therefore, as you
> noted, Paul, funny characterizartions. The author knows his audience well
> and he knows what they know and what they care about. To smash his anarchist
> types would defeat his purpose, insult his audience and undermine his form
> (i.e. his satire).  His wit, not his humor, and his wit far exceeds his
> humor, is particularly directed, but not at the fools and types, but at the
> systems the foools are trying to resist.


I agree, the author doesn't want to smash his anarchists, just show
them as a bit foolish.

This is a pretty responsible message to send to that audience you say
he knows well, a good thing to make sure they are aware of.

That audience already distrusts  the system without having its faults
too laboriously pointed out by Pynchon.

Pynchon knows what to leave out. (he proved that with GR)

I'm  a tiny bit dubious about the author's feeling he must meet the
concerns of his audience. It's probably partly true but I wouldn't
want to see it over emphasized.

I remember years ago Gore Vidal accused Pynchon of catering to a God
seeking generation of youth with all the mysterious stuff of GR.

But all in all I liked your response.

P