Benny as Angel of Death

[kelber at mindspring.com]

Interesting - I always pictured the tack going through the rim of the condom, leaving it basically usable.  But even leaving visibly damaged condoms around doesn't seem a behest to go out and impregnate.  It suggests more of an attitude: You won't need these any more, guys.  We've been supplanted by inanimate objects.

How is Profane promoting sterility?  It seems more that he's promoting the avoidance of emotional connections.  It's V. who promotes sterility, particularly in her role of the Bad Priest.  Stencil comes across as asexual himself.  Paola, Rachel, and Esther all crave love and sex.  Profane seems caught between the two extremes.  He doesn't want human connections, but he's terrified of the inanimate.  That's his dilemma.

Laura

-----Original Message-----
>From: "Krafft, John M." <krafftjm at muohio.edu>
>Sent: Feb 10, 2011 3:44 AM
>To: "pynchon-l at waste.org" <pynchon-l at waste.org>
>Subject: Benny as Angel of Death
>
>(Is this just too obvious for anyone to have mentioned, or did I miss it, or what?)
>
>In his Angel-of-Death routine, Benny "condemns" his victims to impregnate and be impregnated. One early critic (maybe even a reviewer or two) got all huffy about Profane's promoting sterility, missing the point of what putting thumbtacks through condoms does to their effectiveness.
>
>jmk