IVIV (1) There Will be Computers for This

[alice wellintown]

The prophesy is not the point. The point is that Reet's great
knowledge and skill will be replaced by a machine. Of course, even if
one lacked Reets natural talent, one could go to public libraries and
public offices to read about the land and even about many of the
disputes, the projects and how they impacted the water flow, the flow
of wealth, and so on. But the Computer makes this more readily
available to more people.  This democratic flattening of the world by
the computer also compromises privacy and democracy. It interesting
that Pynchon, whose name was changed from Pyncheon (Hawthorne also
changed the spelling of his name) of the House of the Seven Gables, is
so fascinated by the family disputes over lines and property rights
and the like.

Ahab (Book of Kings), the model for Pyncheon (HSG) and Melville's
Captain (M-D), as well as Shakespeare's Macbeth and Ibsen's Torvald
(Doll's House), is the source .... Those evil Real Estate bald headed
villain in Scooby Doo must be sniffed out by the young people, who,
although they plan and strategies, use science and research,  need a
Beat/Hippie and his Dog to, serendipitously stumble onto the case
breaking clues. So Reet may be a prophet with a super-duper ear to
ground, but only Larry can fall asleep on the roof.


On Wed, Sep 16, 2009 at 3:37 PM, David Morris <fqmorris at gmail.com> wrote:
> It's been said before, but, rilly, what is the point of this
> "prophesy?"  REET senses the future, and it's computers?
>
> On Wed, Sep 16, 2009 at 1:06 PM, Dave Monroe <against.the.dave at gmail.com> wrote:
>> "'Someday,' she prophesied, there will be computers for this ...'"
>> (IV, Ch. 1, pp. 6-7)
>