BtZ42 the Oven chapter

[János Széky]

I think his views on gays (or LMBT) changed with the times, which is
nothing reprehensible. From late 50s-early 60s hostility (as in the Paris
chapter of V.) through mild satire (COL49) to trying to empathize (early
GR) to empathy (late GR). After all, he began writing this before
Stonewall, and finished it *after* Stonewall.

Back to the Oven. I've always seen it ('always" meaning since I grasped the
basic structure and semiotics of the book) not as an outside reference (to
the Holocaust) but as an inside signifier. That is, the Oven is simply the
manned Rocket.  The fate of Gottfried as a human sacrifice s to be enclosed
in it and finally burned in it . (Maybe because I'm Hungarian, where the
words for 'baked', 'fried' and 'roasted' are one and the same, I've also
sensed a sadistic pun in the name Gottfried.) This is the central Dark
Secret, which comes to be revealed only in the end, but there are allusions
all through the book. And Katje is familiar with Blicero's design from the
beginning. And there are actually two rockets (the one launched at the end,
and the one called 0001). So what is happening here is Katje realizing
clearly she is intended for the other rocket (she is Gretchen for the
Kinderofen), and escaping her fate.



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2016-06-22 2:00 GMT+02:00 David Morris <fqmorris at gmail.com>:

> Yes, his take on gays back then was badly flawed. So what? He ain't
> perfect, then nor now. Who is?
>
> David Morris
>
>
> On Tuesday, June 21, 2016, Smoke Teff <smoketeff at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Copying and pasting Mark's question in case anybody didn't make it to the
>> bottom of his message. I don't necessarily think the answer to the
>> enveloping question is yes, but I think it's important to think with
>> clarity, caution, courage about what the answer might be.
>>
>> MK: What's with TRP and gays? Does this 'attitude'--is it part of his
>> vision and how?---date (and weaken)
>> GR?
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> > On Jun 21, 2016, at 6:07 AM, Mark Kohut <mark.kohut at gmail.com> wrote:
>> >
>> > What's with TRP and gays? Does this 'attitude'--is it part of his
>> vision and how?---date (and weaken)
>> > GR?
>> -
>> Pynchon-l / http://www.waste.org/mail/?listpynchon-l
>>
>
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