V2, Chap 15 (Sahha), I, p 462 - "...a Strait Street, a Gut."

[kelber at mindspring.com]

Anywhere Benny goes, there's going to be The Street, whether it's called East Main, Strait Street or The Gut.  Which begs the question: why go anywhere?  It's a myopic view of the world, oddly often found in young people (who one would think would be champing at the bit to go ANYWHERE) who think they've learned everything they need to know wherever they're at (Why leave Brooklyn?  Why leave Kokomo?).  It's the exact opposite mentality of the WWI "how 'ya gonna keep 'em down on the farm after they've seen Paree?"  It's a pretty new attitude on this planet - "there's the same as here" - that got its first start in the post-war period where benny lives, but only fully hit its stride with the advent of the internet.

It's also the opposite of the Baedeker's viewpoint that Stencil adheres to (he must go to the actual place).  Benny doesn't get the difference between traveling (on a quest) and yoyo-ing (going nowhere).  Traveling to Malta differs from traveling up the eastern seaboard merely by the length of the yoyo string.

Laura 


-----Original Message-----
>From: Mark Kohut <markekohut at yahoo.com>
>Sent: Feb 15, 2011 4:13 PM
>To: Richard Ryan <himself at richardryan.com>, Pynchon-L <pynchon-l at waste.org>
>Subject: Re: V2, Chap 15 (Sahha), I, p 462 - "...a Strait Street, a Gut."
>
>I din't look anything up re this 'cause I was patiently waiting, knowing you 
>would. 
>Smile....
>
>THIS was so good.....thanks.....this picks up E. Main of course and whjat you 
>wanna bet TRP went to malta in the navy, eh?
>
>
>----- Original Message ----
>From: Richard Ryan <himself at richardryan.com>
>To: Pynchon-L <pynchon-l at waste.org>
>Sent: Tue, February 15, 2011 3:54:03 PM
>Subject: V2, Chap 15 (Sahha), I, p 462 - "...a Strait Street, a Gut."
>
>[Apologies for not posting more this round, folks - been under the
>weather and behind the eight ball.  Will catch up in the next day or
>two. -- RR]
>
>
>     At last [Paola] looked back at Profane: "You're coming to Malta, Ben?"
>    "'No," but weak.
>    "Why?" he said.  "Malta never showed me anything.  Anywhere you
>care to go in the Med there is a Strait Street, a Gut."
>
>*******
>I imagine there have been earlier postings on the list referencing
>Strait Street and "the Gut" in Malta but see this colorful personal
>reminiscence on TripAdvisor:
>
>http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g190328-d507161-r5009153-Strait_Street-Valletta_Island_of_Malta.html
>
>
>A nice photo of Strait Street in "the Gut" (Valetta's red light district):
>
>http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=6171585
>
>
>
>
>-- 
>Richard Ryan
>New York and the World
>~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
>The remedy for unpredictability, for the chaotic uncertainty
>of the future, is contained in the faculty to make and keep promises.
>    -- Hannah Arendt
>
>
>
>