M & D relevant

[Mark Kohut]

I have just read a good essay on Shakespeare and his sense of
causation in his history plays....in which the author quotes from
Keith Thomas's book on the decline of magic (to make movement
of history points) and quotes from philosophers of history, one of whom
writes something very close to this:

"To create fully believable and coherent characters in history (or
historical fiction)
is to not need to plumb historical causation because the depth of the
characterization shows the history---with so many causes---that
created them."

Pynchon's historical novel M & D 1) keeps 'magic' alive post-Enlgihtenment
2) his depth of characterization of Mason & Dixon, embedded in history &
an anachronous history, shows his vision of causes is Empsonianly ambiguous.
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Pynchon-l / http://www.waste.org/mail/?list=pynchon-l