Thomas Pynchon's "Gravity's Rainbow"

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the character Slothrop in Pynchon's "Gravity's Rainbow", who has dropped his social placement in Europe because he is an American. The paper points out that when Slothrop's parents lost their money during the depression, he was forced to affiliate himself with the poor and he now speaks in the American vernacular which automatically orients him to the lower class. The author observed that Pynchon's use of vernacular language extends beyond dialogue and carries over into the narrative voice.

From the Paper:

"Two Americans who do seem to possess a degree of respect in the novel that others do not are Bodine and Waxwing. They command respect because of their various connections throughout Europe. They have the demeanor of businessmen who offer a degree of utility to the other characters, which posits them in a category of power. However, both men's activities are criminal and underworldly, suggesting that people give them respect out of fear instead of in response to their character. Their actual power through criminal intimidation overrides the familiarity of their vernacular."

More papers on Thomas Pynchon's "Gravity's Rainbow":

• Analytical Essay # 25535 : "Gravity's Rainbow: The Musical"
• Book Review # 115514 : "Gravity's Rainbow"
• Analytical Essay # 28106 : "Music in "The Crying of Lot 49"

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