Monday, January 11, 2021

Chapter 1: Section 2: Page 13: Line 50 (155)

 There was an "eager stampede" to the rail, and a joint attempt to wrest the telescope from Miles, who, however, clung to it stubbornly.

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Why is "eager stampede" in quotes? I bet it was the name of a dance that was popular in 1893! Or maybe it's just to indicate that it's not literally a stampede because you wouldn't want to confuse readers. "Wait. There are cattle on the airship?" is something I did not ask to nobody in particular before asking the barista to read all 154 previous lines to make sure I didn't miss anything. She pointed out, "Maybe it's a gentle callback to the idea that the immigrants and people of Chicago have been treated like bovines their entire lives, and the Stockyard imagery? I don't know. Please buy something or I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

Did you laugh at the idea of Miles clinging stubbornly to his phallus while the others grabbed at it? I bet you did if you remembered that you're reading a Pynchon novel and everything that looks like a phallus is literally a boner.

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