Pynchon defines Thanatoids?

[Kai Frederik Lorentzen]

Actually you are, imo, mixing up two different things here.
 
One of Pynchon's basic themes - from "V"'s V to the Zombies in "Inherent Vice" -
is the growing presence of what Freud called the death instict ("Todestrieb")
in modern man. This is, especially via the returning Vietnam soldiers, also connected
to the effects of 20th century warfare. The simple definition "Vineland" gives of
"thanatoid" is "like dead, only different". You could also say --- FROZEN.
 
Another (important) theme in Pynchon is how we exist in memory of our dead relatives 
and friends.
 
Kai
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfilSjFKHyI       

----------------------------------------
> From: gavinf at homemail.com.au
> To: pynchon-l at waste.org
> Subject: Pynchon defines Thanatoids?
> Date: Tue, 2 Mar 2010 21:54:38 +1100
>
> Hi all
>
> I have been a fan of TRP for years but only recently discovered the
> wikis and this list. The Vineland wiki contains some thoughts on who
> or what the Thanatoids really are, and such discussion I have seen
> focusses their context in Vineland with respect to The Tube and the
> 60s. None of the discussion seems very certain or conclusive. I think
> TRP himself has since provided us the answer. I am nearly finished
> Against The Day and discovered this on page 922 of the Jonathan Cape
> hardback edition: "...but our dead never stopped belonging to us,
> they haunt us every day, don't you see, and we got to stay true, they
> wouldn't forgive us if we wandered off the trail".
>
> It all makes sense now.
>
> tonebuddha
>
> PS and yes, ATD is blowing my tiny little mind
>