More Misc. V-2nd. The profaning of The Street

[kelber at mindspring.com]

Having grown up and lived almost entirely in Brooklyn, I always feel a rush of relief on returning here from even a weekend trip to parts elsewhere in the US.  What strikes me is how many people you see on the streets here, as opposed to how few people you see on the streets in either the suburban wastelands, or freeway-dominated urbs, or small towns, or, of course, rural areas.  Where IS everyone?  There's alienation in the crowds of NYC, but its flip-side is a welcome, relaxing blanket of anonymity, combined with lots of surreptitious, entertaining people-watching.  

Laura

-----Original Message-----
>From: Page <page at quesnelbc.com>
>Sent: Aug 22, 2010 5:33 PM
>To: kelber at mindspring.com, pynchon-l at waste.org
>Subject: Re: More Misc. V-2nd. The profaning of The Street
>
>I am not a city person, and my take on the Street as a symbol of alienation, 
>and so on is different from Laura's. One can be alienated from, and feel 
>hopeless in, those teeming streets precisely because they are teeming. 
>Somewhat like finding yourself at a big party where you don't know anyone. 
>Everyone else is having a great time, but you don't know the inside jokes or 
>the people about whom tales are being told. One could also feel hopeless, 
>and rootless.
>
>
>----- Original Message ----- 
>From: <kelber at mindspring.com>
>To: <pynchon-l at waste.org>
>Sent: Sunday, August 22, 2010 8:44 AM
>Subject: Re: More Misc. V-2nd. The profaning of The Street
>
>
>Yes, it's odd that Profane sees some archetypical Street as a symbol of 
>alienation, loss, hopelessness, rootlessness, etc.  The New York streets 
>were/are teeming with life, activity, culture, spontaneity, multiculturism. 
>Not the best metaphor.
>
>LK
>
>-----Original Message-----
>>From: Mark Kohut <markekohut at yahoo.com>
>>Sent: Aug 22, 2010 10:04 AM
>>To: pynchon -l <pynchon-l at waste.org>
>>Subject: More Misc. V-2nd. The profaning of The Street
>>
>>The late Tony Tanner, great early Pynchon appreciator, in his introduction
>>to Shakespeare's history plays, makes this literary "historical" 
>>observation
>>(paraphrase
>>w addition, not a direct quote)
>>
>>The Medieval morality plays, with characters named such as Mercy and 
>>Mortality
>>[Cf.]
>>or even more Pynchonianly like Crafty Conveyance and Cloaked
>>Collusion.............
>>took their show to the street, literally....................the street was
>>"holy' not profane then
>>
>>later, when 'everything became theater", maybe...........plays went back
>>indoors..............
>>Why am I reminded of the movie theater metaphor and film motif of 
>>GR?..........
>>[I know. I'm Kutely Krazy].....
>>
>>Tanner also remarks that Shakespeare, who virtually invented History plays,
>>brought
>>a plot, an imposed meaning on English history, when most historiography 
>>was,
>>more simply.
>>chronicles [Hollinshead]......Although some historians started to see 
>>English
>>history as morally
>>
>>meaningful, Shakespeare saw it with much greater richness and
>>'ambiguity'......................
>>
>>Which leads me to reflect, uninsightfully, on Pynchon's seeing of history,
>>starting fully in V.
>>
>>It is a kind of critical cliche to say: P sees NO moral meaningfulness, no 
>>unity
>>[thanks Henry A.
>>and Alice] in history, in fact he sees a lot of evil multiplicity, yes?
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
>
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