IV - chapter 19 page 348 - 350

[Robin Landseadel]

On Jan 8, 2010, at 6:22 AM, Bekah wrote:

> Now isn't the date of the Feast of the Ascension used in Gravity's  
> Rainbow and Against the Day?  It's the end of Christ's time on earth  
> - when he "ascends into heaven."    Is this meaningful in the  
> context of IV?   Does it mark the end of something, some era, some  
> job,  or are they just "getting high?"   Could it be an accident  
> (and not meaningful) in IV?  I mean,  the Feast of the Ascension is  
> going to happen every year.

Pynchon throws in something heretical whenever he gets the chance.  
Note that the novel ends on May 8, 1970—TRP's 33ed birthday, a number  
of some significance in christian symbolism.

	Page 364
	. . . the Lakers would lose Game 7 of the finals to the Knicks
	
	Friday, May 8, 1970. The final score was Knicks 113, Lakers 99.
	This means that the novel ends on Pynchon's 33rd birthday, a
	nice way to underscore the semi-autobiographical nature of
	Inherent Vice.

http://inherent-vice.pynchonwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Chapter_21

Pynchon plays with the Christian Calendar in his books anyway.

> As they leave the parking lot Doc notices Bigfoot's car trailing the  
> operatives, still trailing the dope.  Bigfoot continues to hunt for  
> Adrian, the "employer" of his partner's killer,  and there are still  
> lots of questions to be answered.

'Scuse me for asking, but isn't Adrian Prussia already dead? Sez on  
page 330 that A.P. re-emerged, threatening Doc with permanent damage  
only to fall on his face in the street. The book sez "Dead enough." I  
think Bigfoot's pursuit of the Woody has more to do with profit  
motives than with revenge.