VLVL (13) - Cesare Lombroso

[kelber at mindspring.com]

Did young people in the Nixon era really thirst for a daddy-fascist figure?  I don't buy it.  Frenesi's obsession seems more of a sexual kink.  There's no suggestion that she (unlike Lake Traverse) had particular need of a father figure, and it certainly doesn't spring from the anti-authoritarian, never-trust-anyone-over-thirty ethos of those days.

Laura

-----Original Message-----
>From: Paul Mackin <mackin.paul at gmail.com>

>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....)
>>>>>
>>>
>> 
>