VLVL (13) - Cesare Lombroso

[Paul Mackin]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bekah" <Bekah0176 at sbcglobal.net>
To: "Thomas Eckhardt" <thomas.eckhardt at uni-bonn.de>; "pynchon -l" 
<pynchon-l at waste.org>
Sent: Tuesday, March 10, 2009 11:59 PM
Subject: Re: VLVL (13) - Cesare Lombroso


> Ever since Laura said that I've been kind of thinking along the lines  of 
> Reagan and the "evil empire."    Reagan was, to some,  very  charismatic 
> and pretty good looking (for an older gent with Grecian  Formula hair)  - 
> he had the Mr. Superman body in his younger days.     I think Frenesi 
> going for that ideal,  that personna,  is  symbolic  of America doing it. 
> All that fascism - it looks so good,  strong,   manly.
>
> Bekah

Reagan is good. Brock is the father figure in Frenesi's Electra Complex. 
(feminine oedipus complex)

The father-need that old what's his name apparently failed to supply. (name 
momentarily excapes me)

Brock is father to all the young people.

Simplistist but it fits. There might actually be something to it in real 
life.

At least it makes for good interaction among Pynchon's cast of characters.

Best chapter in the book.

Who knows????




>
>
>
> On Mar 10, 2009, at 2:16 PM, Thomas Eckhardt wrote:
>
>> Animal attraction is or can be one element of what we consider to  be 
>> love. As is or can be attraction to power (outwardly signified  by e.g. 
>> the uniform, the gun), which is what Pynchon clearly is  getting at in 
>> "Vineland". Makes perfect sense to me.
>>
>> Thomas
>>
>> David Morris schrieb:
>>> I see discussion of VL like this as proof of the book's failure as
>>> viable fiction:  desperate attempts to imbue the characters with
>>> understandable motives where none are apparent in the text.
>>>
>>> No need to respond.  I'm voiced this criticism of VL before.  Carry
>>> on, and I'll continue to try avoiding VLVL posts.
>>>
>>> David Morris
>>>
>>> On Tue, Mar 10, 2009 at 3:06 PM, Richard Ryan 
>>> <richardryannyc at yahoo.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Vond is both repugnant and charismatic.  He *has* to be  charismatic if 
>>>> we're going to understand Frenesi's love for him  (assuming "love" and 
>>>> not mere animal attraction is the right way  to describe her 
>>>> feelings....)
>>>>
>>
>