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Thomas Pynchon leaves the reader much to decipher in his extremely complex, colorful, and satirical The Crying of Lot 49. Throughout the novel, Pynchon successfully prompts the reader to question the integrity his reality in the face of an ever-diversifying society. The Crying of Lot 49 is Pynchon’s reaction to the increasing solitude brewing in the 1960’s American counterculture.
The Crying of Lot 49 takes place in the mid-1960’s, around the same time Pynchon composed the work. Thus, the author makes use of a plethora of references to the popular culture of the day. Most prominent are the Paranoids, a group of young American musicians obviously trying very hard to emulate the outrageous success of the Beatles. The counterculture that most of the novel deals with is a product of the unrest largely stemming from the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement. Pynchon utilizes the anti-establishment sentiment of the time extensively in his fabricated conspiracy theory. Also prominent in the novel is the use of drugs, primarily LSD. The hallucinogen is Pynchon’s major vehicle for destroying and alienating his characters. Pynchon ratchets up the intensity of the feelings of alienation present at the time to create his surreal cast of characters. Thankfully, he keeps the narrative fairly light in nature by writing The Crying of Lot 49 as an absurd comedy.
However, the novel’s thematic foci are not at all comedic in nature. Pynchon’s work deals with a number of serious societal problems he wishes to highlight. The protagonist, Oedipa Maas, has an affair with a lawyer while sorting out the estate of her late boyfriend, Pierce Inverarity. Right off the bat, Pynchon begins painting a picture of moral decline and detachment which stays relevant throughout the work. Metzger, her lover, is written out of the plot, but Oedipa still struggles with the reality of her unfaithfulness. Pynchon writes, “She dreamed that Mucho, her husband, was making love to her on a soft white beach that was not part of any California she knew” (81). Therefore, Pynchon argues, society has faltered morally, but still possesses the conscience to correct itself.
This revelation leads into the novel’s second thematic focus. Protest becomes a large part of the plot as Oedipa discovers the Trystero, an underground mail delivery system for the social deviants of Southern California. The protagonist meets various individuals bearing the mark of the Trystero, all belonging to some subclass of society. Ironically, Pynchon’s novel about a system of communication is really about miscommunication. None of the groups Oedipa meets know about each other and she begins to wonder if the Trystero is a prank, fabricated to facilitate her own alienation from her husband. The novel ends with Oedipa, still searching for answers, watching an auction of Pierce’s belongings, awaiting “the crying of lot 49” (152).
Pynchon’s novel, The Crying of Lot 49, successfully recreates the suspense, absurdity, and social entropy the author sees as a reality. He asks a number of questions at the end of the novel, namely, “Was Oedipa’s ‘odyssey’ a waste of time?” and “Is it alright to not learn from an experience?” Pynchon challenges the reader’s perspective of reality as well as his perception that novels typically conclude with a final realization. For Pynchon, there is no such conclusion. The plot is so messy and absurd that the novel begs for a spot on the shelf next to Kafka. It serves to drive the frantic tone toward the final scene, still asking questions. The author’s use of language (jargon, absurd names, and invented phrases) and character development feeds the overarching theme of social fragmentation and alienation from one’s own identity. This is not to say that The Crying of Lot 49 is an inherently depressing novel. Pynchon makes the reader think. Hard. Few novelists use the laws of thermodynamics or differential calculus as analogies for characters’ thoughts, but Pynchon manages to incorporate both into his narrative. I strongly suggest Pynchon’s The Crying of Lot 49 as a challenging, entertaining glimpse into the American counterculture of the 1960’s.
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The Crying of Lot 49 (Perennial Fiction Library) by Thomas Pynchon
jbe, May 4, 2010
Thomas Pynchon leaves the reader much to decipher in his extremely complex, colorful, and satirical The Crying of Lot 49. Throughout the novel, Pynchon successfully prompts the reader to question the integrity his reality in the face of an ever-diversifying society. The Crying of Lot 49 is Pynchon’s reaction to the increasing solitude brewing in the 1960’s American counterculture.The Crying of Lot 49 takes place in the mid-1960’s, around the same time Pynchon composed the work. Thus, the author makes use of a plethora of references to the popular culture of the day. Most prominent are the Paranoids, a group of young American musicians obviously trying very hard to emulate the outrageous success of the Beatles. The counterculture that most of the novel deals with is a product of the unrest largely stemming from the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement. Pynchon utilizes the anti-establishment sentiment of the time extensively in his fabricated conspiracy theory. Also prominent in the novel is the use of drugs, primarily LSD. The hallucinogen is Pynchon’s major vehicle for destroying and alienating his characters. Pynchon ratchets up the intensity of the feelings of alienation present at the time to create his surreal cast of characters. Thankfully, he keeps the narrative fairly light in nature by writing The Crying of Lot 49 as an absurd comedy.
However, the novel’s thematic foci are not at all comedic in nature. Pynchon’s work deals with a number of serious societal problems he wishes to highlight. The protagonist, Oedipa Maas, has an affair with a lawyer while sorting out the estate of her late boyfriend, Pierce Inverarity. Right off the bat, Pynchon begins painting a picture of moral decline and detachment which stays relevant throughout the work. Metzger, her lover, is written out of the plot, but Oedipa still struggles with the reality of her unfaithfulness. Pynchon writes, “She dreamed that Mucho, her husband, was making love to her on a soft white beach that was not part of any California she knew” (81). Therefore, Pynchon argues, society has faltered morally, but still possesses the conscience to correct itself.
This revelation leads into the novel’s second thematic focus. Protest becomes a large part of the plot as Oedipa discovers the Trystero, an underground mail delivery system for the social deviants of Southern California. The protagonist meets various individuals bearing the mark of the Trystero, all belonging to some subclass of society. Ironically, Pynchon’s novel about a system of communication is really about miscommunication. None of the groups Oedipa meets know about each other and she begins to wonder if the Trystero is a prank, fabricated to facilitate her own alienation from her husband. The novel ends with Oedipa, still searching for answers, watching an auction of Pierce’s belongings, awaiting “the crying of lot 49” (152).
Pynchon’s novel, The Crying of Lot 49, successfully recreates the suspense, absurdity, and social entropy the author sees as a reality. He asks a number of questions at the end of the novel, namely, “Was Oedipa’s ‘odyssey’ a waste of time?” and “Is it alright to not learn from an experience?” Pynchon challenges the reader’s perspective of reality as well as his perception that novels typically conclude with a final realization. For Pynchon, there is no such conclusion. The plot is so messy and absurd that the novel begs for a spot on the shelf next to Kafka. It serves to drive the frantic tone toward the final scene, still asking questions. The author’s use of language (jargon, absurd names, and invented phrases) and character development feeds the overarching theme of social fragmentation and alienation from one’s own identity. This is not to say that The Crying of Lot 49 is an inherently depressing novel. Pynchon makes the reader think. Hard. Few novelists use the laws of thermodynamics or differential calculus as analogies for characters’ thoughts, but Pynchon manages to incorporate both into his narrative. I strongly suggest Pynchon’s The Crying of Lot 49 as a challenging, entertaining glimpse into the American counterculture of the 1960’s.
(2 of 5 readers found this comment helpful)