M&D new question

[Joseph Tracy]

 All the questions have been provocative, so I hope this won't be a complete dud. 

One question/observation that jumped out at me in the introduction is the word meaningless to describe the completed M&D line in Cherrycokes introduction to the Mason Dixon story. It did not strike me on the first read how boldly the writer seems to be characterizing the endeavor at the very opening of the work. He seems himself to be drawing a line or at the very least posing a deep question about everything implied by that line. Was anyone else surprised at how early this question is set forth, or am I treading into the obvious?

Even the word meaningless is provocative- both historically and metaphorically an odd choice to characterize something with such import. But it fits with Cherrycoke's probable attitude at this time. I don't know if I can defend that; I just feel it.-
Pynchon-l / http://www.waste.org/mail/?list=pynchon-l