M&D Deep Duck Where are all the children?

[kelber at mindspring.com]

I once attended a lecture on the history of public health in NYC, and learned that in Trinity Cemetery (much of which dates from the 17th century), a standard grouping is a large gravestone for the man, and two (or more) smaller gravestones for his wives (serial, not concurrent). As each woman eventually died in childbirth, he'd remarry. Of course, the grouping also contains numerous gravestones for the kids and babies who didn't make it.

Has there been any mention of Mrs. LeSpark yet? Maybe LeSpark's already working on a new family, or the offspring from the previous one have decamped to Princeton or commerce or marriage.

Laura


-----Original Message-----
>From: alice malice <alicewmalice at gmail.com>
>Sent: Jan 22, 2015 6:30 AM
>To: "pynchon-l at waste.org" <pynchon-l at waste.org>
>Subject: M&D Deep Duck Where are all the children?
>
>Wade warns Wicks against Juvenile Rampage. We begin with the children,
>the Twins and their Sister, coming in from the snowball fight, the
>snowballs have flown and starred the outbuildings, their carefree
>assault upon the kitchen, then ensconced, busied with quiet knitting
>and sweets, they aim their Juvenile snowballs at their uncle, she with
>her flouting flirtations, the boys with clever jibes, a cup of brew to
>agitate. We learn that friends of the children often gather here to
>hear Uncle, but none are present.
>
>Where is the great brood?
>
>In 1786 the average family would have 7 or 8 children.
>
>We've touched on the economy. The triangle was noted, but what drove
>the economy's enormous growth was population explosion.
>
>Pynchon's family here seems more like the Simpsons than one we would
>find in Philadelphia in 1786.
>-
>Pynchon-l / http://www.waste.org/mail/?list=pynchon-l
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Pynchon-l / http://www.waste.org/mail/?list=pynchon-l