M&D Deep Duck 4-6: Ethelmer, Foplings and Upstarts

[kelber at mindspring.com]

p. 30-31: Cherrycoke and Ethelmer. Both pretend for the sake of the children to believe in the power of prayer. Both share some anti-authoritarian traits: Cherrycoke posted anonymous denunciations against the rich and powerful and their treatment of the poor and powerless; Ethelmer is well aware of his uncle LeSpark's crimes against humanity as an arms dealer/war profiteer (from knives to bombs). Ethelmer seems to have a bit of the Eddie Haskell about him. he sucks up to adults, but possibly disses them behind their backs (or am I reading too much in here?). Ethelmer, unlike Cherrycoke, and very much like his uncle, has an easy-going loose morality. He's not going to make waves about an uncle who gives him funds and invites him around. In addition to faux-piety in front of the twins (girl-cousin Tenebrae, smarter, but also open to her cousin’s charms, is unlikely to be fooled), he plays the innocent in front of society women as a pick-up technique.

On the other hand, since, we’re told, everyone knows about LeSpark’s past, Cherrycoke, in deference to his sister, or just out of weariness, is more than happy to accept LeSpark's hospitality. So his morality may have loosened up.

The Wiki offers Old English, chemical and wiccan interpretations of Ethelmer's name. Hard not to see a little Ethel Merman behind the bold Ethelmer. Recently returned from College in the Jerseys (there were two of them in the 17th century), he's a Princeton man.

I'm re-reading, concurrent, and don’t remember what role Ethelmer will play. But I'm guessing his entrance here is perhaps as a bold, brash, slightly rakish voice of youth. 

And in Part 6, p. 51, Captain Grant is confronted by an unnamed Admiralty Fopling:

 "… a Smirk possessing the young Phiz as whiskers so far had not been able to do."  "He couldn’t vey well call the Sprout our, could he? -- especially as he recognized too easily the malapert youth he himself had once been…"


OK, now, correct me if I’ve forgotten, or if I’m completely wrong, but I don't recall Pynchon in V, COL49 or GR ever posturing as the Voice Of His Generation calling out the oldsters -- as, say, a film like The Graduate did. He never took the easy route of pretending that young people have some special insight that older people lack. And here, writing as an oldster, he returns the favor, recognizing via various older characters that he's merely a formerly-young person, with no special insights. He'll expand on this, with the Chums of Chance in ATD. He has an affection for young upstarts, if no longer one himself.

Laura

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