I thought this chapter was the most complicated and entangled chapter of all. Especially due to its strange plot and all the confusion that it leaves behind, I mean after reading it I didn't know if it had all really happened or if it were hallucinations that Oedipa had. I didn't understand how exactly the Maxwell's Demon worked, however what I found really upsetting and awkward was the proposition Nefastis had to her after she had tried understanding what the Maxwell's Demon was trying to communicate. As this chapter continues, as a reader I realized how far fetched and unreal Oedipa’s obsession was.
I didn't understand at first when Oedipa had a sticker saying "Hi! My Name Is Arnold Snarb! And I'm Lookin' For A Good Time! "(pg 88) until I realized she was going on to a gay bar. I didn't know why would she want a city tour or why would she want to enter a Gay bar. Either way, I thought it was funny and strange. When Oedipa met the gay guy with the Trystero symbol I thought she had been crazy all this time and had fooled me into believing that such thing as the Trystero system and everything related to it did exist. I didn't understand if there was really a Trystero Society which supported each other or if it was all a big story made up by the gay man she met just to make fun of her. I believe the story of the suicide lover was really pointless as much of the parts included in this book, especially in this chapter. I think this trystero symbol must be very common in the U.S or something like that because if it was so secretive, a man in a bar wouldn’t have it randomly. And, in case the Inamorati Anonymous did exist, it would mean that it was known enough to members outside of the Trystero secret system for people to use it as their logo.
Coming back to the origin of the alleged Inamorati Anonymous I think it is satiric and absurd. First of all, how would anyone commit a suicidal protest by burning themselves? And how would someone consider burning him/her self "Groovy" as a way for killing themselves? (Especially knowing that it must be excruciatingly painful to die in such manner.) On the other hand, if the person in question was going to kill himself why would he stop if he realized his wife was being unfaithful? Why would this love affair be funny to him, or why would it make him laugh out loud revealing his presence at that inconvenient moment? Apart from this, I just realized the man in question defended one of the points stoics defended. Not to fall in love or to hold on to anything too much.
That night in which Oedipa starts seeing the Trystero symbol all over the city I seriously thought the entire book was a prank and that its only purpose was to make fun of the reader after having read most of it. That Pynchon would just send the message “it was all a lie, she was crazy". I really got annoyed by this chapter because of the ambiguity and unlikeliest of the events that occurred in it. There are two options, either she was drugged in the drink offered by the gay man, or she was way too drunk and she was making things up. Especially when she saw little children gathered in a park and she knew that they stood awake all night during their dreams but feel very tired when they wake up. Other option, I hadn't thought before, is that she is dreaming all this night. That way it would be possible that the little children's song included the "Turning taxis" which obviously meant "Thurn and Taxis.”
I didn't understand at first when Oedipa had a sticker saying "Hi! My Name Is Arnold Snarb! And I'm Lookin' For A Good Time! "(pg 88) until I realized she was going on to a gay bar. I didn't know why would she want a city tour or why would she want to enter a Gay bar. Either way, I thought it was funny and strange. When Oedipa met the gay guy with the Trystero symbol I thought she had been crazy all this time and had fooled me into believing that such thing as the Trystero system and everything related to it did exist. I didn't understand if there was really a Trystero Society which supported each other or if it was all a big story made up by the gay man she met just to make fun of her. I believe the story of the suicide lover was really pointless as much of the parts included in this book, especially in this chapter. I think this trystero symbol must be very common in the U.S or something like that because if it was so secretive, a man in a bar wouldn’t have it randomly. And, in case the Inamorati Anonymous did exist, it would mean that it was known enough to members outside of the Trystero secret system for people to use it as their logo.
Coming back to the origin of the alleged Inamorati Anonymous I think it is satiric and absurd. First of all, how would anyone commit a suicidal protest by burning themselves? And how would someone consider burning him/her self "Groovy" as a way for killing themselves? (Especially knowing that it must be excruciatingly painful to die in such manner.) On the other hand, if the person in question was going to kill himself why would he stop if he realized his wife was being unfaithful? Why would this love affair be funny to him, or why would it make him laugh out loud revealing his presence at that inconvenient moment? Apart from this, I just realized the man in question defended one of the points stoics defended. Not to fall in love or to hold on to anything too much.
That night in which Oedipa starts seeing the Trystero symbol all over the city I seriously thought the entire book was a prank and that its only purpose was to make fun of the reader after having read most of it. That Pynchon would just send the message “it was all a lie, she was crazy". I really got annoyed by this chapter because of the ambiguity and unlikeliest of the events that occurred in it. There are two options, either she was drugged in the drink offered by the gay man, or she was way too drunk and she was making things up. Especially when she saw little children gathered in a park and she knew that they stood awake all night during their dreams but feel very tired when they wake up. Other option, I hadn't thought before, is that she is dreaming all this night. That way it would be possible that the little children's song included the "Turning taxis" which obviously meant "Thurn and Taxis.”
In my point of view, Jesus Arrabel is another dream Oedipa has that same night. Other thing that impressed me a lot was that she saw the "Don't Ever Antagonize the Horn" acronym which was to me, a way to show all her paranoia. I got really confused when she started seeing symbols all over the place. Finally (I don't know if in really or not) Oedipa found the W.A.S.TE system when she was told by this old man. I felt pity for him, he was just as crazy as Oedipa and he was sick. At least Oedipa could move and travel all she wanted satisfying her crazy mind. What is really weird is that Oedipa accepts that the man is crazy but still follows his instructions and gets to the W.A.S.T.E dropping can. I think it was really ridiculous that Oedipa followed the mail man and that he leads her to the weird man Nefastis house.
I found ridiculous that Dr. Hilarius was bad and that he was crazy as well. I was glad Oedipa got to stop him but the message I got form this chapter was that the entire book had been a prank from the beginning just that I couldn't get it. In this chapter everyone is crazy; Dr. Hilarius, Mucho (who claims he can hear sounds in different types of sound and that in a way they are all equal) and Oedipa. I don't understand why are they allowed to take LSD what is Pynchon criticizing or mocking about the U.S?
Vocabulary:
Moseying: to wander or shuffle about leisurely; stroll; saunter (often fol. by along, about, etc.)or to leave quickly; decamp.
Snigger: a disrespectful laugh
I found ridiculous that Dr. Hilarius was bad and that he was crazy as well. I was glad Oedipa got to stop him but the message I got form this chapter was that the entire book had been a prank from the beginning just that I couldn't get it. In this chapter everyone is crazy; Dr. Hilarius, Mucho (who claims he can hear sounds in different types of sound and that in a way they are all equal) and Oedipa. I don't understand why are they allowed to take LSD what is Pynchon criticizing or mocking about the U.S?
Vocabulary:
Moseying: to wander or shuffle about leisurely; stroll; saunter (often fol. by along, about, etc.)or to leave quickly; decamp.
Snigger: a disrespectful laugh
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