TR's Fuller as Magical Negro

[Mark Kohut]

I see no magic about him....I see him as a purposely 'flat' --see Forster; Gaddis does not pretend to know how to create a rounded
character in him, unlike the world he knows well.,.......
 
To me, Fuller embodies the plight of the serving class in America, many of them black. I will never forget the way Gaddis found to show how trapped
a whole class could be/was----by Recktall knowing of and taking Fuller's ticket to 'freedom'. Heartbreaking. And Fuller suffers it just like the powerful---
rich white men---want him to. Resignedly. Hopelessly but without despairing or rebelling. As so many have had and still have to in America....
 
 

From: "edmoorester at gmail.com" <edmoorester at gmail.com>
To: pynchon-l at waste.org
Sent: Friday, July 8, 2011 2:45 PM
Subject: TR's Fuller as Magical Negro


TR's Fuller as Magical Negro 

I do not intend to offend with this topic but Fuller does strike me as a trope. 


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magical_negro 
The magical negro is typically but not always "in some way outwardly or 
inwardly disabled, either by discrimination, disability or social constraint," often a janitor or prisoner. 

He usually has some sort of magical power, "rather vaguely defined but 
not the sort of thing one typically encounters." 

He is patient and wise, often dispensing various words of wisdom, and is "closer to the earth." 


http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MagicalNegro 

Uncle Remus from Song of the South epitomizes this trope, a key reason why the movie isn't seen much today. 
Even the horrors of Jim Crow can't dampen his determination to be a cheerful mentor to white children 

Of course I have to note Scatman Crothers in "The Shining" 

Stephen King admits to doing this a bunch (also "Green Mile") 

While I don't really care for the magical negro trope my favorite 
is the "holy fool" ala Forrest Gump and Ralph Wiggum. 
also Terrence Hill from "Superfuzz" and "My Name is Nobody" (from Ulysses story) 

Super Fuzz (1980) trailer (so bad it's good) 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngvYJtpXkM4&feature=youtube_gdata_player 




ed
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