V-2nd - Chapter 12: Keep Cool But Care

[kelber at mindspring.com]

McClintic's cool contrasts with the Whole Sick Crew's desperate quest for cool.  This follows Winsome's (and Pynchon's) diatribe against the Crew.  Each one is trying to be famous or rich or beautiful by trampling on their innate talents.  Their distorted notion of cool is a loud-mouthed fundraiser for Esther's abortion, more to highlight their own hipness than to actually help Esther.  Winsome makes a pretend effort to kill himself as a "statement," and everyone's watching.  It's the opposite of McClintic's "Keep your mouth shut, help without publicizing it."  

Laura


-----Original Message-----
>From: Mark Kohut <markekohut at yahoo.com>
>Sent: Dec 15, 2010 10:50 AM
>To: kelber at mindspring.com
>Cc: pynchon -l <pynchon-l at waste.org>
>Subject: Re: V-2nd - Chapter 12: Keep Cool But Care
>
>Detachment or just self-containment? within one-on-oneness............
>
>It does say "Love" as in Love and do as you will" that one overridding 
>"commandment" someone sez...
>
>How overarching is the 'help" mandate?.....help to do the work that was 24fps? 
>or just help thy neighbor kind of help?   
>
>How is the "no publicizing it" akin to P's belief in privacy or his 
>Anti-Charisma bits????
>
>
>
>
>----- Original Message ----
>From: "kelber at mindspring.com" <kelber at mindspring.com>
>To: pynchon-l at waste.org
>Sent: Wed, December 15, 2010 10:15:35 AM
>Subject: V-2nd - Chapter 12: Keep Cool But Care
>
>Lackluster as the lowly Chapter 12 is, it's still the source of the oft-quoted: 
>Keep cool but care.  McClintic formulates this little philosophy while he's with 
>Paola.  There always seems to be wind imagery around Paola (including her last 
>name).  McClintic and Paola are driving up the Hudson and here's another wind 
>reference:  "their own wind was cool."
>
>Then:  "She talked to him straight and McClintic kept cool."
>
>She tells him her life story, which causes McClintic to ruminate:
>
>"Love with your mouth shut, help without breaking your ass or publicizing it:  
>keep cool, but care."
>
>It's a prescription for emotional detachment, for a realization that no one can 
>do much of anything about the state of the world.  Not sure Assange subscribes 
>to this.  Or Dick Cheney.  But certainly, Pynchon does.
>
>Laura
>
>
>
>