GR translation: solid-set against the purple mountainslope

[David Morris]

Slight quibble:  "solid-set" isn't in *sharp* contrast to the
mountains, both man and mountain are similarly solid-set, just a case
of foreground Vs. background, similar but different.  Notice the two
sets of "against" pairings in this segment (both cases of one thing in
front of another):

"This Crutchfield here is browned by sun, wind and dirt—against the
deep brown slats of the barn or stable wall he is wood of a different
grain and finish."

"He is good-humored, solid-set against the purple mountainslope"

If anything, these descriptions make him almost a part of the
landscape/scene.  I'd say Pynchon is playing with the image of the
Marlboro Man:


http://richardcraiganderson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Marlboro-Man.jpg


David Morris

On Thu, Apr 5, 2012 at 6:35 AM, Paul Mackin wrote:
> On 4/5/2012 2:07 AM, Mike Jing wrote:
>>
>> P69.21-28  This Crutchfield here is browned by sun, wind and dirt—against the deep brown slats of the barn or stable wall he is wood of a different grain and finish.  He is good-humored, solid-set against the purple mountainslope, and looking half into the sun. His shadow is carried strained coarsely back through the network of wood inside the stable—beams, lodgepoles, stall uprights, trough-trestlework, rafters, wood ceiling-slats the sun comes through: blinding empyrean even at this failing hour of the day.
>>
>> What does "solid-set against the purple mountainslope" mean?
>>
>
> appearing unmovable
>
> in sharp contrast to the mountain slope