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

[Richard Ryan]

That sounds right.  I'm uncomfortable (clearly) with any tendency to
talk about which abstract principle Pynchon's characters represent,
but Benny is a classic 50s alienated Everyman.

On Tue, Feb 15, 2011 at 7:03 PM, Mark Kohut <markekohut at yahoo.com> wrote:
> yes, and I might add.....P sez Benny is even always not happy in The Street.....
> and, as we've explored in this read, Benny IS the Young in the American
> wasteland of the 50s, yes?
>
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> ----- Original Message ----
> From: "kelber at mindspring.com" <kelber at mindspring.com>
> To: pynchon-l at waste.org
> Sent: Tue, February 15, 2011 4:35:59 PM
> Subject: Re: V2, Chap 15 (Sahha), I, p 462 - "...a Strait Street, a Gut."
>
> 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
>>
>>
>>
>>
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-- 
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