IV (10) page 155

[alice wellintown]

>
> ****
> ME:   Another thing,  I think Pynchon is going to some lengths to include
> specific elements of the racial/national diversity which is LA in one large
> celebration of cultural assimilation.  This is part of the myth of the
> 1960s/'70s,  although it was better than the 50s.    If not "assimilation"
>  there was a huge acceptance of various races all immersed in one
> counter-culture - but I'm not sure that's true either - not really - but
> realism is not the point here, is it.

Thanks for the Meat Flag ...was curious about that.
Right, realism is not the point here. I agree that P goes to great
lengths to include the diversity of LA, but I can not read this work
as celbration of cultural assimilation or  multi-culturalism, or even
the new salad bowl anti-melting pot gradual mixing though not complete
assimilation or homogenization idea. None of these seem to apply to
what P is up to. So what is he up to? Parody of the multi-racial TV
and Hollywood program. Also, there is no counter-culture force in this
work. As Kojak would say, "It's Over, Baby." It's all about using
people for what you need. Money, Money, Money, Money!  I ME MINE. All
this WA WA.