Weekly Reflection on Chapter 2 in Pynchon's "The Crying of Lot 49"

• enigmatic: resembling an enigma; perplexing; mysterious

• plinth: 1. a slablike member beneath the base of a column or pier 2. a square base or a lower block, as of a pedestal

Page 24: "But if there was any vital difference between it and the rest of Southern California, it was invisible on first glance."

This quote struck me by surprise because as Oedipa arrives in the city that Pierce had a lot of money invested in the narrator describes the city is "invisible". Originally I believed that Pierce invested in big corporations in popular, populated cities but instead the way Oedipa makes it seem at first is that the city really is not much of anything to brag about. 

• centrifugal: 1. moving or directed outward from the center

• Yoyodyne is a fictional defense contractor. Described in the latter book as "a giant oft he aerospace industry", founded by World War II veteran Clayton "Bloody" Chiclitz. The company has a large manufacturing plant in the fictional town of San Narciso, California.

Page 26: "Barbed wire again gave way to the familiar parade of more beige, prefab, cinderblock office machine distributors, sealant makers, bottled gas works, fastener factories, warehouses, and whatever."

Again, this quote also struck me by surprise because you imagine these buildings surrounding Pierce's investments would be tall, elaborate, well-designed buildings but instead she describes cinderblock offices surrounded by barbed wire. This puts a poor image in the my, the reader's, mind imagining a poorly built and maintained city. Or perhaps this describes a little bit of how Oedipa's personality is portrayed, high-class and judgmental.

• nymph: 1. any of the minor divinities of nature in classical mythology represented as beautiful maidens dwelling in the mountains, forests, trees, and waters 2. girl

• lambent: 2. softly bright or radiant 3. marked by lightness or brilliance especially of expression

• kasher: ("fit," or "proper"), in Judaism, the fitness of an object for ritual purposes.

• zither: a musical instrument, consisting of a flat sounding box with numerous strings stretched over it, that is placed on a horizontal surface and played with a plectrum and the fingertips.

• ringleted: 1. a curled lock of hair 2. a small ring or circle

Page 35: "She wondered then if this were really happening in the same way as, say, her first time in bed with Pierce, the dead man."

This quote definitely suggests Oedipa's promiscuous habits. Although I have read the entire chapter before reflecting on this quote, this is definitely a foreshadowing of the events to come. It also makes me wonder if Oedipa had relations with Pierce before or after her marriage to Macho, her current husband. This chapter reflects Oedipa's true personality: high-class, judgmental, promiscuous, etc.

Page 41: "So it went: the succession of film fragments on the tube, the progressive removal of clothing that seemed to bring her no nearer nudity, the boozing, the tireless shivaree of voices and guitars from out by the pool."

Again not only her promiscuity is recognized but also her drinking habits. In Chapter 1, the theme of alcohol and drunkenness was introduced. Now, in Chapter 2, Oedipa is drinking again and it is now leading her to do much worse things than leave a Tupperware party. 

• crescendo: 1. music 2. a steady increase in force or intensity 3. the climatic point or moment in such an increase; peak

Page 43: '"What did Inveratiry tell you about me," she asked finally. "That You wouldn't be easy." She began to cry."'

This final page of Chapter 2 sums up everything. Metzger tells Oedipa that Pierce said she would not be easy, when obviously Pierce was wrong because Oedipa slept with Metzger the first night they met. Perhaps Metzger took what Pierce told him as a challenge and got Oedipa to drink so that he could say he slept with her on the first night. Oedipa's guilt is recognized when the narrator says she began to cry. Now Oedipa has to not only deal with Pierce's estate and will, but also the awkwardness between her and Metzger and having the guilty conscious that she cheated on her husband. 

Ultimately, Chapter 2 leads me to believe that "The Crying of Lot 49" is not going to be all about handling Pierce's estate and will, but also the drama that Oedipa has in her life and how she handles it. Perhaps Metzger slept with Oedipa so that he received more power and input on how to disperse Pierce's estate and will and to receive more control over Oedipa's decisions. Oedipa's decision to sleep with Metzger can either help or hurt her and I suppose the next few chapters will reveal whether it truly did. The drama in Chapter 2 has definitely caught my interest and I am now excited to read more and find out what happens in the chapters to come.