V---2nd Pynchon theme?

[Mark Kohut]

Richard Ryan writes:  
An aphorism of karl kraus, savage satirist of the Austria/Germany/Vienna of his
> time
>
> especially of Freud(ianism), has stuck with me:
>
> "Psychoanalysis is another aspect of the disease it purports to cure"....

It's recognized by most literary interpreters of psychoanalytic
literature (e.g., Trilling, Burke, Bersani) that analysis is bound up
with the neurotic dysfunction itself.

>
> Would TRP agree?

As an anti-intentionalist, I would say this is not necessarily a
useful question...


Whereever one stands re intentionalism, I was just sorta suggesting by 
aksing that
 if the Freudian/psychoanalytic-based satire in early Pynchon is what's on the 
page
with all the sexual 'perversion' [that cost him the Pulitzer among those cramped 
mines] 

then part of P's theme cuts deeper than 'literary interpreters' [maybe?], 
namely, to a vision
of a non-psychotic, non-neurotic "normal" way of life that, lost, has bred a 
sick reaction
to treat symptoms not the root of our lost humanity.




----- Original Message ----
From: Richard Ryan <himself at richardryan.com>
To: Mark Kohut <markekohut at yahoo.com>
Cc: pynchon -l <pynchon-l at waste.org>; braden.andrews at gmail.com; Pete Cleland 
<pmcleland2003 at yahoo.com>; mark levine <leevyne at aol.com>
Sent: Sat, March 12, 2011 2:22:40 PM
Subject: Re: V---2nd Pynchon theme?

On Sat, Mar 12, 2011 at 8:19 AM, Mark Kohut <markekohut at yahoo.com> wrote:
> He satirizes (almost) everything, even most of the thinkers, ideas that fill 
>his
>
> books, right?

Indeed.


>
> So, especially in V. and GR, he loads in some psychoanalytic ideas, Freudian,
> etc. and perhaps
> examples---all that sado-masochistic sex, say?---of psychoanalytically-studied
> perversions?

Pynchon (in V at least) has a horny young man's fascination with sex
in all its aspects.  Especially the perverse ones.

>
> An aphorism of karl kraus, savage satirist of the Austria/Germany/Vienna of 
his
> time
>
> especially of Freud(ianism), has stuck with me:
>
> "Psychoanalysis is another aspect of the disease it purports to cure"....

It's recognized by most literary interpreters of psychoanalytic
literature (e.g., Trilling, Burke, Bersani) that analysis is bound up
with the neurotic dysfunction itself.

>
> Would TRP agree?

As an anti-intentionalist, I would say this is not necessarily a
useful question...

>
> Another work I've always wanted to read---or see staged!---Last Days of 
>Mankind,
> look
> it and Kraus up on wikipedia if interested.

http://www.jewish-theatre.com/visitor/article_display.aspx?articleid=680

And there seems to be a Paul Scofield performance of it - must hear
this if it can be found!

http://scofieldsperformances.com/index.htm

-- 
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