The Garter from V to AD

[Tyler Wilson]

Perhaps we are intended to take the *world* of Against the Day as the same as that of V., "...with a minor adjustment or two. According to some, this is one of the main purposes of fiction." Given everything one has read in the novel (AtD) up to page 1066, this is the simplest and most contextually relevant explanation--there is no reason why we should try too hard to square the two books. An easy out: Mélanie's death was both real and "all theater". It need not go any further than that. 


But it could... Who knows why Pynchon was motivated to use *that* particular character to illustrate the point. Please continue with the speculation. The beauty of P's writing is that it often works on many levels equally well.





> Date: Wed, 30 Mar 2011 09:22:40 +0100
> From: macissell at yahoo.es
> Subject: The Garter from V to AD
> To: pynchon-l at waste.org
> 
>     Well I was afraid that the question of La Jarretiére had been covered in the 
> reading of V., sadly I was not able to participate so I didn't read the 
> comments. I'll have to go & come through them. If what follows is old stuff, do 
> pardon me.
>     Michael, I did look at the post you attached & you certainly go through the 
> chapter pretty closely, but I have some questions. We learn in AD that it (La 
> Jarretiére's death) was "all theater", but what textual evidence is there in V. 
> to support that? (Your reading of Satin didn't really convince me. The physician 
> who pronounces her dead was not summoned by Satin. Afterall, we are told that 
> Mélanie didn't wear her device.) It seems to me that only with the information 
> from AD (p1066) can we say that Mélanie's dramatic end was faked. 
> 
>     So why would TP do this? Could it perhaps be an attempt to connect his 
> novels together (think Faulkner's Yoknapatawpha or other 'literary worlds' ala 
> Blake, Joyce, Marquez) into an semi-interwoven whole? Mélanie helps achieve 
> this,  The Garter (La Jarretiére) is circular like a ring, stretching around 
> from the end of V. to the end of AD. Or is it meant to undrmine the certainly of 
> our understanding, making us 'paranoid' about whether more information will 
> arrive from the oracle, forcing us to re-read what we thought we were sure of. 
> We are left Waiting for Pynchon. Or maybe both.
>     I should add that I like Michael's idea because in a way it appeals to me to 
> think that TP had so much scope that he knew when he was writing V. how he would 
> end AD. However, I think it more likely that when he was writing AD he found 
> ways to tie it all together; it's a simpler explanation (which i know doesn't 
> necessarily mean better or correct)  that still requires a sharp writer. 
> 
>     
> MC
> 
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: Michael Bailey <michael.lee.bailey at gmail.com>
> To: P-list <pynchon-l at waste.org>
> Sent: Wed, March 30, 2011 8:46:36 AM
> Subject: Re: La Jarretière
> 
> Matthew wrote:
> > Nice one Tore. Now the question is: What are we to make of that?
> 
> 
> That he planned it all the time
> 
> textual evidence I posted:
> 
> a) http://waste.org/mail/?list=pynchon-l&month=1102&msg=154562&sort=date
> 
> relevant passage:
> page 459
> - nasty business with the sharpened pole
> - however, we now know it "was all theater"
> 
> - "Damn the German" oh ok, I guess he is the maker of the automatons...
> 
> page 460
> - so like, V. is watching this happen?
> - - that's messed up
> --- (or is she in on it?)(nah)
> --  coroners are presumably not immune to bribery in 1913
> -- raspberry jam
> -- it's probably something V. cooked up with a lover other than V.
> -- she wouldn't have told Porcepic 'cos he was buds with V., right?
> - the sweet cheat gone
> 
> 
> 
> b) http://waste.org/mail/?list=pynchon-l&month=1102&msg=154563&sort=date
> I've got a theory:
> remember how old Satin did NOT go to the Black Mass, but sat there at
> the table shuffling glasses with a murderous look on his face?
> so - maybe he's a good guy.
> and plus, he's like the choreographer, who better to work the
> mechanics of it all, to help Melanie stage a fake suicide and get away
> from V.?
> Yup, that's my theory, and I'm stickin' with it.
> 
> 
> 
>       
 		 	   		  
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