Grace Notes

[Matthew Cissell]

Hello All,

    When I read the first few comments on grace I was slightly surprised, but my 

surprise turned into interest  as the comments grew into a minor thread that has 

since faded away. I was surprised because when I presented my paper, which 
involves grace (and makes the argument for it being an over-arching element in 
AD), in Poland this summer, there was as of then not much being said about grace 

in AD. In fact, I make the point in my paper that almost all of the reviewers 
neglected this apparently significant part of the novel. It is ironic that Kai, 
who has questioned the applicability of Pierre Bourdieu to AD (see post from 
June 23), started this thread. However, having someone with a different point of 

view see the same thing (even if not in the same way) may not confirm my view, 
but the development of the thread shows that there are people interested in 
conversing further about the subject of grace and how it figures in the novel.
    
    I won't try to resume my paper here, rather I'd like to respond to some of 
the comments.

    First, there has been some mention of luminosity in regard to grace. In my 
paper I pointed out that Lew's experiences appears to be 'gratia 
illuminationis'; he is "illuminated" so to speak & afterwards developes a more 
sympathtic view of the anarchists. This illumination as enlightenment invites 
the familiar associations of light/ dark, seen/ unseen, etc. I also point out 
that a moment of grace occurs with Webb and that it then arches through the 
novel to the last word.  


    Lew's story is "overarching" thematically at the very least because he is 
the only main character that connects the CoC to the terrestrial storylines.  On 

a very different level he connects the element of detective genre literature in  

Pynchon's earlier works to IV, tying the novels together in a rather novel 
manner. In other words, although Pynchon has not created a Yoknapatawpha county 
or Macando, the novels do connect (eg, through names or themes) albeit in a 
subtle Joycean manner. (To some extent this was taken up in another thread on 
the Traverse clan and how it connects the novels.)

    I agree with Mark that the various instances of grace in AD are not 
necessarily Catholic, or Lutheran or Calvanist. Like Robin I think that grace 
must be studied with a number of things in mind, such as: its place in Weber, 
who we know is important for Pynchon; competing variants of the concept (a study 

of the genesis of the concept, its history); and as a structuring element in the 

novel. Couldn't there be some overlap of the anarchist miracle of earlier 
Pynchon as it becomes a sort of secular grace?

    I look forward to reading more on this subject. 

Ciao
Matthew Cissell