From Orwell to Pink Floyd: Animals & A Fig's Tale VL p.3

ish mailian ishmailian at gmail.com
Sun Apr 19 21:54:52 UTC 2020


Carrier in the ocean with squadrons taking off and landing, light
pulsing in there wings.
Now, as Pynchon says of Orwell, he's no prophet, but GHWB is gonna
send squadrons from carriers.


On Sun, Apr 19, 2020 at 5:51 PM ish mailian <ishmailian at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> If you're still with me on Squadron and Carrier, 2 words that seem
> misplaced by Pynchon because Blue Jays, those aggressive birds don't
> fly in squadrons and pigeons that carry messages are not carrier
> pigeons bu homing pigeons, you might be wondering what happened when
> these 2 words are put together. Yes, it is 1984 when Zoyd wakes up too
> late, and yes Pynchon did pen an important essay on Orwell's classic,
> and in 1984 Pynchon also penned his essay, "Is It O.K.to be a
> Luddite?", an essay that begins with an allusion to the dystopian
> masterwork, but it'snot 1984, not for You, reader, no, for You, Dear
> Reader,  it's later, and Raygun's VP is now POTUS. GHWB flew in
> squadrons from carriers. Get it?
>
> On Sun, Apr 19, 2020 at 3:40 PM ish mailian <ishmailian at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > Is Pynchon using the informal here? Or does the word hint that these
> > Blue Jays are a symbol of an operation?
> >
> > Blue Jays are know for their territorial behavior and for sometimes
> > stealing the eggs or chicks of other birds.
> >
> > squad·ron
> > /ˈskwädrən/
> >
> > noun: squadron; plural noun: squadrons
> >
> > an operational unit in an air force consisting of two or more flights
> > of aircraft and the personnel required to fly them.
> >
> > a principal division of an armored or cavalry regiment, consisting of
> > two or more troops.
> > a group of warships detached on a particular duty or under the command
> > of a flag officer.
> > INFORMAL
> > a large group of people or things.
> > "he immediately commissioned a squadron of architects"
> >
> > Origin
> > mid 16th century (originally denoting a group of soldiers in square
> > formation): from Italian squadrone, from squadra ‘square’.


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