VL-Hub's monologue

[Mark Kohut]

Seconded.........captures what I think underlies being an "American citizen" in Vineland.........
working the 60s spirit one's whole life, as one could.........

not what Zoyd, Frenesi, others do. (Except maybe dead Weed?) Is that part of TRP's point?



----- Original Message ----
From: "kelber at mindspring.com" <kelber at mindspring.com>
To: pynchon-l at waste.org
Sent: Tuesday, March 17, 2009 12:36:11 PM
Subject: VL-Hub's monologue

(p. 288-291):  This is one of the high points of the book, in my opinion.  Hub's monologue/diatribe on IATSE vs. CSU captures the essence of everything that went wrong with the American labor movement, bringing it to its current sorry state.  His culminating words:

"'...I let the world slip away, made my shameful peace, joined the IA, retired soon's I could, sold off my only real fortune -- my precious anger -- for a lot of got-dam shadows.'"

speak not only to the dissolution of the labor movement, but to the fizzling of the "spirit" of the 60s.

Laura