Something about the neighborhood drew him, maybe the food—surely the only place in Chicago a man could find a decent orange phosphate—although right at the moment you could not call the atmosphere welcoming.
* * * * * * * * * *
Is saying the Black neighborhood has the only decent orange phosphate racist? Or, being that Pynchon has written it, so obviously true that I can't believe I hadn't realized it before. My belief that Pynchon time travels to write his novels makes me believe that Pynchon experienced the orange phosphates from the south side of Chicago in 1893. I can practically taste it myself right now even though I don't exactly understand what a phosphate is. I think it just means carbonated beverage. So he's basically talking about Orange Crush. That was always my uncle's favorite soda to get at McDonald's and I used to think, "Gross! That's like the worst choice!" But I've come to decide it's actually a really good choice. Not at McDonald's, mind you! The only real choice there is the Coke because McDonald's Coke is better than all the other Cokes somehow. But if you're at a truck stop or something, Orange Crush is a great choice.
See how good I am at ignoring racial tension in the text? All I have to do is discuss soda instead! I bet I'd make a good Republican!
Ouch. Why'd I have to insult myself like that?
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