GR translation: solid-set against the purple mountainslope

[Joe Allonby]

And of course, the majestic mountain is purple


On Thu, Apr 5, 2012 at 8:45 AM, David Morris <fqmorris at gmail.com> wrote:
> 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