A Recurring Theme

One of the themes that appears in The Crying of Lot 49 that has appeared in almost every piece of literature we've recently read, is infidelity. At this point, it is just frustrating me that this is such a prominent theme. It raises questions about the morality of the people at the time the literature was written. Does this theme really reflect the moral standard of the day? Was marital infidelity commonplace? I cannot accept that it was based on what I know about the culture in the 1960's so then why do Pynchon, Faulkner, and various other authors include it in their work? Perhaps Pynchon includes it to display how desperately Oedipa wants an escape from her boring average life. We can tell she is unsatisfied with her life from the first chapter of the book and my theory, for Pynchon at least, is that infidelity is one of the ways she seeks excitement and danger. Even if Oedipa wasn't out looking to sleep with someone, she allowed herself to be in a tempting situation with Metzger. If she was not planing on sleeping with him, it was quite poor planning on her part to be drinking alone with him.

Aside from infidelity being an escape, I believe there is another reason Pynchon, and other authors use sex in their work. Though less elegant an explanation, I find it reliable and probable, and it is that sex sells. From looking at our culture today, this principle is clearly visible, and hard at work in advertising. I find this principle is not exclusive to the advertising world because it shows up in American literature so frequently.

Yet this analysis of Pynchon's use of sexual infidelity may beg the response, "what about the fact that men are coming on to women, not the other way around? Isn't Pynchon commenting on men and their lust for women, not the infidelity of a wife?" Perhaps, and that interpretation is valid especially because of the way Miles, the hotel manager, assumes Oedipa wants to sleep with him in return for playing his demo tape. But I still don't believe that is an accurate commentary on then present day society based on my knowledge of the 60's. Maybe in extreme cases it is, but I do not see that as widespread or acceptable. The interpretation of sex in The Crying of Lot 49 may differ, but Pynchon's motive remains the same. And that is to use sex to sell books. Unfortunately, our culture is fascinated and has historically been fascinated with sex and scandalous happenings. Watching CNN or Fox News is a crystal indicator of that. Unless our culture losses its fascination with sex and infidelity, it will continue to be one of the prevalent theme in Literature.

Mucho Prejudice-o

One of the most interesting sections in the first chapter of The Crying of Lot 49 was where we learn how Mucho compares the people and families who come to him looking to trade in their vehicles with the actual cars themselves. I believe Pnychon's specific purpose behind giving the reader this information about Mucho is to reveal his character to us. Specifically that he is prejudiced. He makes judgments about his customers lives based on the "automotive projection" (pp 5) of themselves.

We see that he is judgmental of those that come in offering trade-ins that have little or no value, connecting the poor condition of the car with their lives. He assumes that just because they do not take car of the car, their lives must be in ruins. Mucho never stops to think that perhaps the people who come to him just choose not to spend their money on a nice car, but save it for things they might deem more important. He assumes because the interior of a car smells like cheap beer and cigarettes means the person who brought it too him must be smokers and and drinking in order to leave the problems of their "troubled lives". He doesn't think it just might be possible they purchased the car from someone else who smoked or drank. Mucho's problem in relating to people is that he doesn't go beyond the outward expressions of a person's life. He does not and chooses not to search for the hearts of the people he deals with and therefore will always be blinded by first-glance characteristics which may or may not be the true reflection.

Though Mucho may often be correct in his assumptions of people based on the evidence their automobiles provide, he will inevitably be incorrect sometimes. I cannot say for certain at this early stage in the novel, but I believe Pynchon reveals this characterization of Mucho as foreshadowing of his downfall because of his prejudice.

A Cleansing Power

In Faulkner's There was a Queen, the section of the short story that I found most interesting and a bit perplexing was the part when the reader finds that Narcissa and her son have been sitting in a nearby creek for hours just talking. They haven't been swimming or fishing and haven't gone to the water for any particular purpose other than to just sit.

Though I am not entirely sure of Faulkner's purpose in including this part of the plot, I believe he chose water specifically to symbolize a sense of renewal and cleansing. It is assumed Narcissa has sexual relations with the federal agent in order to retrieve her letters and also assumed that she is somewhat bothered by what she has done. Water, throughout history, has repeatedly been symbolic of purity and renewal. It occurs in almost every world religion. For example water is a symbol of new life in Christ in the act of baptism. In ancient Judaism, water was used to ritually purify oneself after one had encountered something in everyday life that had caused him or her to become unclean. Even in literature and film, rain often has a cleansing or renewing quality to it.

In having Narcissa sit in this running creek, Faulkner is portraying her attempt at washing herself clean of the guilt and shame she feels for offering her body to this stranger. This purifying power of water is why Faulkner includes this plot sequence. Going to lie in the creek is Narcissa seeking renewal and a new beginning so she can leave her shame in the past.

We Are All Searching For Something

I agree with Carl Rapp's interpretation of "The Descent" and offer other evidences in his poem that support his reading.
Williams writes "No defeat is made up entirely of defeat-- since/ the world it opens is always a place/formerly/unsuspected..." The defeat the writer speaks of is the outside world's defeat of his search for happiness and meaning in his own existence. But he continues that it is not entirely a defeat meaning it is not a realization that leaves him with nothing left to live for, but leads him to different methods of finding his satisfaction, which is looking inside oneself. "The world it opens" (his inner self) is a place he didn't expect to find peace and satisfaction but somehow does. It is obvious through the way many of us live that we are searching for affirmation and satisfaction in life from the world and doubtlessly Williams did as well. It is no surprise that the new world opened by turning inside one self is unexpected because almost none of us look inside.
Later in "The Decent" Williams leaves evidence which suggests this looking inward for satisfaction is truly where happiness lies. "The descent/made up of despairs/and without accomplishment/realizes a new awakening:/which is reversal/ of despair." The descent is the dismal understanding that the world is cruel and unforgiving. Willams writes that the descent is made up of despairs like the physical ailments he suffered and the loss of his mother Rapp noted in his essay on "The Descent". However, for Williams, this dismal realization leads to a "new awakening" which is the discovery of satisfaction by looking inward on himself. This new found understanding is the reversal of despair as Willaims learns he does not need to rely on the world that has proven itself to be unbearable for satisfaction. Instead he needs to look inside himself to be content; a realization which cannot be reversed. It is "indestructible".
Everyone is looking for the meaning and purpose of existence, and also a satisfaction or fulfillment of purpose. Literature and philosophy through the centuries proves that. At the realization that the world is empty and cannot satisfy, many turn to religion, others turn to existentialist philosophy, and whatever else out there promises fulfillment and joy. "The Descent" is the story of William's "awakening" and the means by which he finds fulfillment in his life.

If we look at the characters Chestnutt develops in the story we find three major personalities. First is Dick Owens who throughout the story is attempting to win Charities love with a heroic deed. His scheme to liberate Grandison is completely selfishly motivated. He does not care for the well being of Grandison, he merely is looking to win the affection of a woman with deeds. Not only that, but he chooses the easiest possible road to Charities affections by plotting to steal a slave from his own father's plantation. The task is simple, hardly dangerous, and places nearly any risk or consequence on Owens. Young Owen is a selfish and lazy man looking for the easy path in life and remains this way for the length of the novel. Secondly, Chestnutt develops Dick Owens' father, the Colonel. The Colonel lives for the glory of himself and nothing more. While he at least was not lazy like his son, he lives to hear praise from others and is blinded by his pride from the flattery of others. He loves to hear his slaves praise him for the comforts he provides and that they are proud to have him as their master, yet he fails to see through the farce of the praise because of his pride. He too is selfish which is evident as he lies to his slaves, especially Grandison, by explaining how terrible it is to be free. The Colonel comes to his ultimate downfall because of his prevailing pride and selfishness. In contrast to these characters, Chestnutt create the personality of Grandison. Grandison is neither selfish nor prideful is his actions. He serves both his masters faithfully until the very day he sees fit to leave. Also in one of the greatest acts of selflessness, he gives up freedom, which he ultimately wants, and risks his life in order that he might return to the plantation and deliver his entire family to freedom as well as just himself.
Chestnutt turns upside down the social order of that era by portraying the slave as the courageous, selfless hero rather than the well-to-do white plantation owner or his son, the heir to a great fortune. Chestnutt wanted to bring about change in the way his audience saw slaves. The common thought in the South was that slaves were property, but Chestnutt portrays them as humans, and not just humans but true men of courage and honor. Both the Colonel and Young Owens fail in their journey to be men, while Grandison, a slave, succeeds.

Down Memory Lane

I can honestly say that I don’t enjoy reading, especially if I am reading on a specific time frame for a class. However, I found Twain’s Huckleberry Finn to be quite amusing. Twain has a talent for writing in such a way that the reader is able to put himself in Huck’s shoes and really live out the story. I think what I loved most about the book was the feeling that I was a kid again running up and down the Mississippi, getting into all sorts of trouble. (Though my childhood adventures were for the most part confined to by backyard)

Mark Twain uses a couple of important elements in his writing to allow the reader to step into the story and really be able to live it. One of which, I noticed, was his ability to create characters that I’m sure each of us knew when we were growing up. Not that we knew the specific character, but that we all had friends with characteristics in common with Huck’s friends. I know for sure I had a friend who would try to swindle me into anything that was for his benefit like Tom does to Huck occasionally. Second was his ability to write from the perspective of a boy. One of the first sections in which I began to relate to Huck’s story was chapter II, where Twain introduces Tom Sawyer’s “gang”. Plainly, the gang’s purpose is for burglary and murder though clearly they are not capable or willing to carry out such acts. To a certain degree, every young boy wants to go on adventures and even engage in dangerous illegal activities like piracy and burglary just because we love being seen as daring and adventurous. Not only do the boys exaggerate the extent and daring of their deeds, but they are serious about them, at least in front of each other. As older men would begin to point out problems in their plans for the gang, the boys act as though the agenda for the gang is totally feasible. This kind of attitude that lacks the pessimism we get as we grow older is a perfect representation of how boys look at life. At least for me, Twain marvelously manipulates Tom’s “gang” to turn it into a point of connection with the story. His ability to create lifelike characters that resemble us in our youth and those that we have known truly allows the reader to step in and live Huck’s adventure. This above all is what makes Huckleberry Finn such a successful novel.

It Sifts From Leaden Sieves

This poem never explicitly states what "it" is but does provide a lot of valuable evidence to allow the reader to determine the unknown "it". In my reading of Emily Dickinson's piece, I determined the unknown to be time. The lines which support this hypothesis I believe are quite prevalent. Line 2 states "It powders all the Wood." which could be read to mean that all the wood as rotted. The passing of time is the one thing that rots all wood. Lines 5 and 6 declare, "It makes an Even Face Of Mountain, and of Plain--" This line refers to the weathering of the Earth through erosion of rock and the natural features of the land. A great amount of time is the one thing that is most necessary for this process to occur. One of the final pieces of evidence Dickinson leaves for us in this poem in order to determine that the unknown "it" is time, is found in the final two lines of the poem: "Then stills it's Artisans--like Ghosts--/Denying they have been--". Time is the one thing that erases the memory of people. No matter how famous one is, time will take away their remembrance. One's works may live on, but in the end, time will destroy it all. Time will always deny those who have been.
Perhaps I am misunderstanding Dickinson's intent but it is also possible that she left whatever the specific "it" was out of the poem in order to leave it open for interpretation. It is possible that the nouns "it" could define were too vast to allow her to choose only one to represent in the poem. She leaves the poem vague intentionally to leave the poem open for interpretation.