BEg2 chapter 4 Iceland spar bifurcations

[Mark Kohut]

Gotta possibly differ with one little thing among all these good obs.

Vyvra might have shrugged first and fast because Maxine would not react
until Vyvra did. Out of surety first and
friendship second....Once Vyrvra got that Maxine knew, she shrugged
immediately, I would argue....Maxine shrugged
in female solidarity and sympathy. Another beautiful sisterhood touch, from
Pynchon, male feminist.

On Thu, Nov 18, 2021 at 4:28 AM Michael Bailey <michael.lee.bailey at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Imho -
> You got your
> 2 different kinds of media
>
> Then you got your
> 2 different views of Fiona
>
>
> Two images with the kids: Tubers vs Gamers
>
> Tube is what’s on offer at the nee-Tarnow,
> lately-Loeffler,
> newly-re-Tarnow residence for the family and their young guest Fiona, the
> kids settle pseudo-sedately into viewing mode & Maxine goes about her
> business - familiar comfortable roles like Fiona playing up to Otis who is
> acting the gentleman host
>
> Computer game is the fruits of hospitality: a peek at this product of
> Fiona’s home is a great hostess-gift - changing the paradigm of
> entertainment, though thankfully conforming to ancient customs of
> generosity.
> The game engages all 3 kids; Maxine too.
>  And Fiona, though guest, possibly youngest, and female, is the
> knowledgeable one. “Disruptive tech?”
>
>
>
> Two images with Fiona: confidant vs Other
>
> Fiona holds high-level rational conversation with Maxine, understanding
> lots of business and showing mature attitudes.
>
> Then arises the specter of unconventional assignations with her husband
> Justin’s business partner Lucas into which their relationship isn’t quite
> solid enough for Vyrva to go -
>
>
> [Maxine wonders based on body language whether Vyrva is] “shtupping, excuse
> me, “seeing” her husband’s partner on the sly?
>    “Vyrva, you’re not . . .”
>            “Not what?”
>            “Never mind.” Both women then beam elaborately and shrug, one
> fast, the other slow.
>
> (Maxine fast, Vyrva slow, gotta be!)
>
>
>
>
>  whereupon -
>
> Without any kind of goodbye -
>
> Vyrva’s no longer there, & is being talked about.
> So the 2nd image of Vyrva here is as a mad Beanie Baby collector.
>
> “Another unexplored corner here, of which there are already enough. Maxine
> has only recently for example found out about Vyrva and Beanie Babies.
> Seems Vyrva’s been out running some arbitrage hustle with the trendy
> stuffed-toy/beanbag hybrids. Soon after their first play date, “Fiona has
> every Beanie Baby,” Otis nodding for emphasis, “in the world.” He thought a
> minute. “Well, every kind of Beanie Baby. Every one in the world, that’d be
> . . . like warehouses and stuff.””
>
>
> Beanie Babies are soft, cute, and cuddly and a nice what people used to
> call a “high-touch” contrast to the “high-tech” world of Justin and Lucas.
>
> Attractive to me is the notion that the depth of Vyrva’s attraction to
> Beanie Babies is for her a necessary counterbalance to the preponderance of
> computer, virtual, non-tactile non-huggable stuff in Justin’s routine.
>
> Also maybe that although Ziggy has no patience with Vyrva’s strategy, that
> just means he too is like Horst in looking primarily through financial
> goggles.
>
> Maxine isn’t the one to say Vyrva’s crazy. It’s Ziggy, and we do not hear a
> concurrence from Maxine.
> (Fruits of emo-therapy?)
> --
> Pynchon-L: https://waste.org/mailman/listinfo/pynchon-l
>