CoL49 Chapter 4

[J K Van Nort]

"Pierce does not represent JFK. Period."
While I don't think Pierce represents JFK, I do think the book is a response to the Kennedy assassination. I don't have the New Frontier view of JFK as much as the Seymour Hersh, Dark Side of Camelot impression. Joe Kennedy manipulated the mafia, a closer stand-in for the Tristero than the CIA, and they had many reasons to hate JFK, especially after helping to fix Illinois and then having RFK as AG going after them full force. 
The speculation of the mob's hand in his assassination has significant support, and I can see them being lured into the job by a CIA who also hated Kennedy. Dulles then chaperoning the Warren Commission further supports that speculation.
I also think that the Military Industrial Complex's continued rise deeply impacted Pynchon's writing CoL49, and if the speculation is true that Kennedy wanted out of Vietnam after his re-election (which I don't believe), then the MIC would also have it out for him, making their, not Pierce's connection to Tristero more likely.
In solidarity,
James

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On Saturday, June 15, 2024, 05:38, Mark Kohut <mark.kohut at gmail.com> wrote:

Peirce does not represent JFK. Period.

2) Because Oedipa cannot understand Pierce's "testament", his meanings and
The Trystero needs understaning. As we read, she suspects some kind of
elaborate hidden
plot and The Trystero seems elaborate and mysterious---like good plots do.

On Sat, Jun 15, 2024 at 4:36 AM David Morris <fqmorris at gmail.com> wrote:

> On Sat, Jun 15, 2024 at 4:17 AM Michael Bailey <
> michael.lee.bailey at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> > 1) Why does Oedipa connect understanding Tristero to finding Meaning in
> > Pierce's testament?
>
>
> It’s a very good question. In fact, why does she fuck Metz?  He’s a little
> bit of a turn-on, but sex (per se) is not her motivation. From the start,
> it is a battle of wits.  But WHY?  It’s almost as if she’s using her new
> “power” as a tool to dig into the “corrupt” world of REAL Estate!  (The
> ONLY “real” wealth).
>
> Good question!
>
>
> Yes!  BUT!  Are any of these “speculations” suggested anywhere in the text?
>
> - what if Pierce didn’t leave enough to cover his debts - like that guy in
> > _A Man in Full_ maybe the whole empire was a house of cards
> > - maybe they are liquidating (selling the stamp collection, eg)
> > - anyway, if that’s the case, maybe she seeks meaning in non-financial
> > terms and follows her liberal arts training to pursue the alternative
> post
> > phenomenon
> > - or, maybe she sees Tristero as a/the wreaker of Pierce’s downfall, and
> is
> > trying to figure out which of his activities brought on their wrath
> >
> >  - if Pierce represents JFK - but his shtick is totally different - but
> if
> > he somehow does anyway, maybe her efforts are linked to the idea of
> trying
> > to keep the New Frontier vision alive?
>
>
>
> >
> --
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>
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