The third chapter of The Crying lot 49 was strange, but not as much as the first. It started again with the allusion of Rapunzel and the tower. However, there was foreshadowing on the Tristero System which would haunt her for the rest of the book. At first, in this part of the book I had the feeling that nothing important was really happening. Although Oedipa discovered the Tristero symbol and society, she feels the need to investigate more and asks questions to Michael Fallopian which is an intriguing character to me.
After being informed by Di Presso that his client Jaguar provided Pierce Inverarity with human bones in order to make coal and that the problem came up when company did not pay him, she becomes aware of the cause of the lawsuit. In this point, what really draws my attention is the author's cynism, since he presents this case as one in which the main issue is that Pierce Inverarity hasn't payed for the bones and not the fact that it has bought human bones in orden to make coal. To me, this shows a total lack of respect for the dead and a very disrrespectful tone towards the Americans since it shows that they can become involved in such dark and low buisnesses as much as selling or buying bones.
Nevertheless, the mentioned case is important for the development of the novel because it leads Oedipa to assit to the play The Courrier's Tragedy in which the word Trystero was mentioned on the last line intriguing her more. This curiosity causes Oedipa to talk whith Driblette, the play's director. She does not get much information about the lawsuit and mainly discusses the Trystero sentence. Afterwards she tells him she will call. However, either fate or someone, makes sure that they can't talk ever again since in the last chapter when she tries to reach him she is told that he is dead.
After being informed by Di Presso that his client Jaguar provided Pierce Inverarity with human bones in order to make coal and that the problem came up when company did not pay him, she becomes aware of the cause of the lawsuit. In this point, what really draws my attention is the author's cynism, since he presents this case as one in which the main issue is that Pierce Inverarity hasn't payed for the bones and not the fact that it has bought human bones in orden to make coal. To me, this shows a total lack of respect for the dead and a very disrrespectful tone towards the Americans since it shows that they can become involved in such dark and low buisnesses as much as selling or buying bones.
Nevertheless, the mentioned case is important for the development of the novel because it leads Oedipa to assit to the play The Courrier's Tragedy in which the word Trystero was mentioned on the last line intriguing her more. This curiosity causes Oedipa to talk whith Driblette, the play's director. She does not get much information about the lawsuit and mainly discusses the Trystero sentence. Afterwards she tells him she will call. However, either fate or someone, makes sure that they can't talk ever again since in the last chapter when she tries to reach him she is told that he is dead.
Earlier, Oedipa mentions she doesn't know who Shakespeare is , this shows her ignorance regarding the theater and that her only interest is finding about the Tristero mistery. I was shocked when she said she didn't know who Shakespeare was and I thought it could be a way of mocking American society and culture by the author. I'm not saying that all of the North-Americans are that ignorant; what I'm trying to say is that the author might wan't to ridiculize the ignorant people in his country.
Something else that called my attention was the mentioning of the Bible Belt which where the states that were the most devote and most rigurous with religion. This author uses many real facts which can be very confusing since sometimes, since I haven't completed my studies in North-American history, I can't tell what really happened and what is false. On the other hand I found it hilarious that the letter Oedipa found in the bathroom said to communicate through WASTE since I couldn't imagine what did that mean and how would it work. Appart from this, I found the letter that Mucho sent to Oedipa totally senseless and although I thought it might carry a hidden message, I forgot of that probability since not even Oedipa understand why did Mucho write her that.
I was alarmed when Pynchon mentioned exactly which acts ''....on a vigorous suppression of those independent maiil routes still surviving the various Acts of '45,'47,'51, and'55, Acts all designed to drive any priate competition into financial ruin.'' (pg 39) The author must like history a lot or have a serious obsession with the US mail system.
I thought the play was really strange and grotesque since it pictured several scenes that were unpleasant. Appart from that I am now wondering if there is a connection between the mentioning of Saint Narcissus in the play, and the location where they are throughout the majority of the book. This play made me remember in Don Quijote when he includes several smaller stories written by him throughout the story. For example the story of "El curioso Impertinente" which took several pages of the story. When I first read the play I never thought it would have so much importance throughout the book. However, as I continued on I realized how wrong I had been.
Vocabulary:
Poignant: intense, sincere, heartfelt, sharp.
Diorama: a scene, often in miniature, reproduced in three dimensions by placing objects, figures, etc., in front of a painted background.
Abyss: a deep, immeasurable space, gulf, or cavity; vast chasm.
Amalgamate: to mix or merge so as to make a combination; blend; unite; combine: to amalgamate two companies.
1 comment:
Way to catch up!
Hmmm, strange metaphor and allusions. It almost sounds like Eliot.
Could the mail system be a metaphor? A way to communication?
Keep up with the reading!
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