While readers read Thomas Pynchon’s The Crying of Lot 49, there is at first a seemingly feeling of despair. Thomas Pynchon creates a worldview through an unreliable narrator that travels throughout California with a seemingly questionable motive. Furthermore, the behavior of characters that Oedipa Maas encounters seemingly allows the reader to experience the despair that comes with the paranoia that Oedipa and other individuals within that time period have adopted. Despite this, though, it is arguable that the text actually showcases an ironic atmosphere or a parody towards the lifestyle of highly non traditional values found within California. The text is actually calling attention towards the ludicrous experience of more modern times. By analyzing the text once more, it may be seen how the text is mocking or ironically setting an idea of postmodernism.
Readers may first see an example of this towards the introduction of the use of drugs. The use of LSD shows the new experience that the new generation is willing to try. It further extends into the medical field as it illustrates Oedipa’s doctor calling her (8). This demonstrates the possibility of a new drug because every other drug has already been experimented with. Then, as Oedipa voices her worry to Mucho, her worries are discarded. Mucho explains that there is no possibility of getting addicted (117). He then explains that it is taken “because the world is so abundant” (118). This illustrates how Pynchon is mimicking or mocking the world views at the time. He sets a worldview that shows that people are care-free and have no worries such as getting addicted to a mysterious drug.
Then, the illustration of different character’s behavior further shows the irony of mocking within the worldview. Several character such as Oedipa herself or Hilarius. There behavior demonstrate paranoia within the text such as when Hilarius takes Oedipa hostage (111). Instead of contributing to the world and for a better future for themselves, readers are instead able to find the characters being afraid of their own past actions. Even the narrator engages herself in the past actions of her ex-boyfriend throughout the entire text. It showcasing how Pynchon is making an ironic statement that shows that individuals within this time period have done everything all in the past, they can no longer pay attention towards a future.
Pynchon, however, continues to joke around with these characteristics by including names of individuals that contain ironic meanings. Towards the beginning of Pynchon’s short novel, he depicts Oedipa encountering a character named Miles that is apart of a band or group that named itself “the Paranoids” (17). As she requests him to play a song, Miles “closes the door behind them” thinking that Oedipa inferred to having sex with him. This situation in particular calls attention towards the irony found within the name. It demonstrates a characteristic that is seemingly being portrayed. Then, the character of Hilarius is another example of the ironic meaning behind a name. His behavior is showcased as wild and without any meaning. He believes that the police is searching for him, takes Oedipa hostage and then suddenly turns against her for believing that she is working against him (111). His erratic behavior is explicitly made fun of through the characteristics of how he interacts with Oedipa.
Lastly, the demonstration of how each different location is portrayed showcases a worldview of irony and parody. The locations that Oedipa travels to are seemingly not suppose to contain any significant by the events that partake within them. The name of locations themselves set an almost fantasy and child-like work. For example, San Francisco is switched to “San Narciso”, and Oedipa travels there in search of what she believes is an underground secret that is meant to be kept away from the government. It demonstrates an ironic and parody of the worldview inside the short novel.
In an overall analysis, these literary details showcase how Pynchon does not take the lifestyles within the 60’s and 70’s seriously. Similarly, Pynchon showcase the adoption of paranoia that came within this time period and presents it in an exaggerated manner. The worldview of the short novel seemingly creates the entire plot and setting as a comedy. It is nontraditional and the erratic behavior can become ironic. However, the illustrates of these various elements do not enforce an argue for change. Instead, Pynchon is illustrating the paranoia and adoption of drugs that found within the time period and takes it to an extreme.
Hey Carla,
ReplyDeleteOne of the best aspects that I liked about your blog was the introduction. You almost made it seem like the world view of the novel is dull, while your take on it is more interesting. My favorite part was when you turned the world view to your view and used the word "ludicrous" to describe the relation to modern times. This really made the beginning of your piece and made me want to continue to read on. I also enjoyed how you discussed the book closely to modern times.
The only thing I would have added was the presence of modernism throughout your piece. You stated in the introduction about the view actually being about modernism, but never mention it too much later on. I can put it together and see drugs and other aspects being modern, however other readers may not. Overall, I really liked your analysis on the view of the novel.
I really enjoyed this post! I actually did my blog post on the same topic, but I feel like yours went into way more depth than mine! I liked how you tied the use of drugs in the novel into the post, and how all of the characters seem to be stuck on the past, rather than looking to the future.
ReplyDeleteI did notice there were a few missing words and misspellings in some spots, but they weren't a huge deal. The only other thing I could really think of to point out is to maybe work on the transitions between paragraphs a bit. These are really small nitpicks, though, and didn't deter my enjoyment of the post at all.