V--2nd, Prolegomena to an Epilogue

[Mark Kohut]

so interesting.....

So, I focussed, perhaps myopically, on what I called the bleakness of the very 
last paragraph.

You took a more wide-angle look at the whole last chapter......

Which, now as I read some of your observations on Benny and Brenda lead me
to not think of the ending of Gravity's Rainbow---which very compactly envisions
 a little togetherness, touchingness (two senses at least) and interpersonal 
communication
before...........the bomb falls...........THE END.

Anyone else see it this way? Anyone, anyone?


----- Original Message ----
From: Michael Bailey <michael.lee.bailey at gmail.com>
To: Mark Kohut <markekohut at yahoo.com>; P-list <pynchon-l at waste.org>
Sent: Thu, March 3, 2011 2:34:52 AM
Subject: Re: V--2nd, Prolegomena to an Epilogue

I'm trying to muster any evidence, but my subjective impression was
that ol' Benny and Brenda have a good thing going.
I'm always happy for him when I review this passage.


The depth and darkness of the night always strike me as being
refreshing and clean, if that makes sense.
(and perhaps a sign that he has achieved his initial aim of putting
out the sun (if you want to refer back to that))

he's made his way through x amount of months and hasn't re-enlisted

he's met some interesting people

he has not lied about himself, and therefore...
he has avoided making commitments that he can't meet

he hasn't learned anything - but, what was he supposed to learn?  once
you learn something, they'll probably change it all anyway...

not only that, but it seems like BW and BP will be able to talk
comfortably, important for a longer term relationship ----

summed up by BW's poem which is, well, not affectless, but certainly
not offputtingly emotional, a-and it's soon over (not a long poem...)
and she introduces it in a self-deprecating way that is in harmony
with his self-deprecation

and the succinct way he signifies his approval seems heartfelt (for
him) -- "seems about right" (or words to that effect)

So I suggest that - unlike all his other conversational partners,
starting with Dewey Gland and his "PFC" song (BP says, "that's pretty"
(or something patently insincere like that) and DG says "there's
more"...) in BW, BP has finally met somebody whose discourse, if you
will, meets his standards...


I dunno, anyway, my strong impression at the end is warm and fuzzy,
that beautiful black velvet night sky and the sea air...




-- 
"The general agreement is that language should be a kind of honey.  I
like it to be a kind of speed." - Michael Moorcock