GR translation: their own pitiable contingency here, in its midst

[Mike Jing]

You are probably right. I went back and forth at least a couple of times.
Glad I finally asked.

Thanks everyone for responding.

On Sat, May 6, 2017 at 11:23 PM, David Morris <fqmorris at gmail.com> wrote:

> "Their own pitiable contingency [plan]"
>
> Refers to their "preserving routine" enacted (pitiably) as protection
> against the real War of chance going on outside.
>
>
>    - a provision for an unforeseen event or circumstance.
>    "a contingency reserve"
>
>
> David Morris
>
> Sat, May 6, 2017 at 7:22 AM Mike Jing <gravitys.rainbow.cn at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> V96.5-16, P97.40-98.10   How seriously is she playing? In a conquered
>> country, one’s own occupied country, it’s better, she believes, to
>> enter into some formal, rationalized version of what, outside,
>> proceeds without form or decent limit day and night, the summary
>> executions, the roustings, beatings, subterfuge, paranoia, shame . . .
>> though it is never discussed among them openly, it would seem Katje,
>> Gottfried, and Captain Blicero have agreed that this Northern and
>> ancient form, one they all know and are comfortable with—the strayed
>> children, the wood-wife in the edible house, the captivity, the
>> fattening, the Oven—shall be their preserving routine, their shelter,
>> against what outside none of them can bear—the War, the absolute rule
>> of chance, their own pitiable contingency here, in its midst. . . .
>>
>> What does "contingency" mean here?
>> -
>> Pynchon-l / http://www.waste.org/mail/?listpynchon-l
>>
>
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