Pynchon on his characters

[Paul Mackin]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dave Monroe" <against.the.dave at gmail.com>
To: "Paul Mackin" <mackin.paul at gmail.com>
Cc: <pynchon-l at waste.org>
Sent: Sunday, May 17, 2009 11:19 AM
Subject: Re: Pynchon on his characters


On Sun, May 17, 2009 at 9:54 AM, Paul Mackin <mackin.paul at gmail.com> wrote:

> Isn't Hollander the main purveyer of the idea that some of P's writing
> reflects some kind of resentment for the alleged fact that the prominence
> and well-being of the Pynchon "family" in America have been unjustly
> diminished by the workings of history?
>
> That kind of thing might be a little annoying.
>
> If I'm misrepresenting H. someone please tell me and I'll apologize.

This is Hollander's strongest statement on the matter vis a vis Pynchon 
himself:

"In his apparent schema, paranoia should be preceded by feelings of
disinheritance. Actually Pynchon does feel somewhat disinherited.
Pynchon’s family is a clan of bluebloods who were misguided enough to
align themselves with the wrong side during not one, but two American
Revolutions, one in the eighteenth century and one in the twentieth
century, and who have suffered social and economic reversals as a
consequence."

http://www.ottosell.de/pynchon/inferno.htm

"Resentment" isn't used, and isn't necessarily implied, even. The
similratities/congruities/parallels between the Pynchon family and the
fates of vraious charcters both fictional and historical invoked in
the the texts, on the other hand ...


Thanks, Dave. My memory wasn't too far off.

I know it's only meant as literary criticism and shouldn't be taken 
personally by Pynchon (assuming he's even seen it) .

H is not really telling Pynchon how he feels (somewhat disinherited)  but 
only telling us how Pynchon feels

Nevertheless it's a little presumptuous.

And probably inaccurate IMHO.

P.