IVIV: robin & alice ask about soul question re Golden Fang (all around pp 90-95)

[Mark Kohut]

Preserved had, before Halifax explosion and refitting---which "removed all traces of soul"......."tentacles of sin & desire and that strange worl-bound karma which is of the essence in maritime law".....

Preserved had tentacles touching the human.....maritime law, among the oldest law precedents, going deeper than many Nation-States.....a more human-centered law that could work out karma between foax? 

THEN, sometime after WW2, it became soulless.....now owned by a 'consortium", another impersonal company and now associated with 
spying on commies. "off Cuba".....

We know from Vineland how deep Pynchon finds the paranoia and betrayal of fellow citizens McCarthyism went in creating post-war America....spying, betrayal are lifelong themes.....

Notice on p. 92 about GF, he writes ala hofstadter's aforementioned piece and book, .."the paranoia keeps growing"...about the missing ship "assumed to be sunk on deirect orders from the U.S. Government"....

And, of course, teeth are in the mouth one betrays with............