Sunday, April 25, 2021

Chapter 1: Section 5: Page 43: Line 201 (783)

 "You think working for the Eye's a life of moral squalor, you ought to have a look at our shop."

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I don't know if Nate meant for this line to be ambiguous or not. I first read it as, "You think you'd be lowering yourself working for the Pinkertons, well, just imagine how much you'll have to lower yourself working for White City Investigations!" I'm sure he means it as "We're more morally upstanding than those jerks so maybe come work for us." But I'm sure Pynchon meant it as, "This guy is telling the truth accidentally. Working for White City Investigations really isn't going to be any different than working for the Pinkertons."

Also, "working for the Eye" has some real Illuminati vibes going on. So that's not as good as a boner joke but a good enough They/Them paranoia reference (unless the Eye is a one-eyed trouser snake joke which I suspect it isn't but if it is, well, then, kudos? I guess?).

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