IV - chapter 19 page 348 - 350

[kelber at mindspring.com]

What about the exchange between Doc and Denis on p. 350:

"Bigfoot's not my brother," Doc considered when he exhaled, "but he sure needs a keeper."

"It ain't you, Doc."

"I know.  Too bad, in a way."

Doc seems wistful that he's hopping off the investigatory bandwagon.  Bigfoot's no longer seeking revenge or profit; he just needs to know.  He's been bitten by Golden Fang fever, as Doc was.  Maybe he'll go on to become a whistleblower.  That's my reading of this exchange, anyway.  I think most of us would agree that Bigfoot's never been portrayed as an in-your-face Bad Guy.  He and Doc exchange info in that archetypical cop-and-PI relationship found in Chandler and other noir fiction/film.  There was a sense through the book that Doc's actions were driven by a need to know, but now it appears that all he was interested in was assuring the safety of Shasta, Coy and other people he cared about.  That's not a bad motivation, but there's something sad in his decision to stop pushing for answers.  The torch is taken up by Bigfoot.  In the end, Doc's more Slothrop than Oedipa.

Laura

-----Original Message-----
>From: Robin Landseadel <robinlandseadel at comcast.net>

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