IVIV Bobwire & Jolly Rancher

[John Bailey]

Uh, even Bigfoot's supposedly endearing loyalty to his ex- is severely
put into question late in the novel. Not upended, but definitely cast
in a different light.

I think he's often quite sympathetic though - if only because his real
motives are so frequently unclear.

I also think of that Locard's exchange thing in the book: just by
coming in contact, Doc and Bigfoot leave traces of themselves on one
another. Happens throughout the book. None of the characters are
opposites or completely discrete individuals, but are constantly
altered by their interactions. Or, at least, that's one way I dig it.

On Wed, Sep 2, 2009 at 6:31 AM, <richard.romeo at gmail.com> wrote:
> the only thing that may be thought of as a sympathetic trait in Bigfoot is
> standing by his now deceased partner. Other than that, he's a creep.
>
> Dirty Harry worked alone after his partner was killed (though it happened to
> at least twice more)-I think of BB as Dirty Harry like
> rich
>
> On Sep 1, 2009 4:06pm, Mark Kohut <markekohut at yahoo.com> wrote:
>> John,
>>
>>
>>
>> How is this take on Bigfoot's 'endearingness' in collecting barbwire, that
>> wonderful Pynhconian image with seemingly no redeeming value:
>>
>>
>>
>> Bigfoot LOVES his job. Bigfoot LOVES being a fascist. Bigfoot is a
>> friendly fascist. Another spoke in the co-optation theme ala Laura's
>> question?
>>
>>
>>
>> Way back around the time GR was published there was an essay I was lead
>> to, that later became a book, and one might say, by that time its truth
>>
>> was everywhere. What was Reagan but...........
>>
>>
>>
>> This has to be a reprint, showing some kind of minor classic status. The
>> original was later 70s, I believe.
>>
>>
>>
>> Friendly Fascism: The New Face of Power in America by Bertram Gross
>> (Paperback - Jul 1, 1999)
>>
>> Buy new: $24.0031 Used & new from $6.93
>>
>>
>>
>>  (14)
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --- On Tue, 9/1/09, John Carvill johncarvill at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>> > From: John Carvill johncarvill at gmail.com>
>>
>> > Subject: Re: IVIV Bobwire & Jolly Rancher
>>
>> > To: "David Morris" fqmorris at gmail.com>
>>
>> > Cc: "Mark Kohut" markekohut at yahoo.com>, "pynchon -l"
>> > pynchon-l at waste.org>
>>
>> > Date: Tuesday, September 1, 2009, 1:49 PM
>>
>> > >
>>
>> > > Of course barbed wire had big political consequences
>>
>> > in the "taming"
>>
>> > > of the Wild West.  I seem to remember the gauchos
>>
>> > in GR mourning the
>>
>> > > loss of freedom they had before the open plains were
>>
>> > cordoned off.
>>
>> > >
>>
>> >
>>
>> > Ah yes, right. Well, it's easy to think of so many
>>
>> > negative
>>
>> > connotations of barbed wire. Yet Bigfoot collecting rolls
>>
>> > of vintage
>>
>> > wire seems somehow endearing!
>>
>> >
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