CoL 49 (1) love, anyway [PC 6]

[kelber at mindspring.com]

I read this sentence not so much as a commentary on Oedipa's compassion as a commentary on Mucho as suffering virtual combat fatigue from his time on the Lot.  An oblique Vietnam reference?

Laura

-----Original Message-----
>From: Robin Landseadel <robinlandseadel at comcast.net>
>Sent: May 5, 2009 1:35 PM
>To: pynchon-l at waste.org
>Subject: CoL 49 (1) love, anyway [PC 6]
>
>Oedipa is empathetic:
>
>	You comfort them when they wake pouring sweat or crying out
>	in the language of bad dreams, yes, you hold them, they calm
>	down, one day they lose it:  she knew that.
>
>. . . this innate tenderness makes it very easy to like Oedipa & her  
>reflexive acts of kindness. The way she is always present in the novel  
>makes her unique in Pynchon's writing.