A Beginning from an End

At the end of this novel, readers can't help but wonder whether Oedipa imagined the Tristero mystery, or whether it is a valid conundrum. While Oedipa sits and waits for the calling of lot 49, readers are left feeling unsatisfied about the open ending. But, is the Tristero mystery really the core of this novel's plot?

It can be argued that the 'meat' of this story is not, in fact, the mystery which Oedipa obsesses over, but rather the analyzing of why she chooses to obsess. Through miscommunication and drugs, Oedipa successfully isolates herself from those that she once considered close. She does this because she is unable to find meaning in her immediate surroundings, even mentioning her hopes that her interlude with Pierce will bring an escape reminiscent of Rapunzel's.

Oedipa is unhappy in modern society, and is a perfect example of the depression which is so common currently among those who seemingly have their lives handed to them on a silver platter. The truth of the matter is that Oedipa does not actually have any substantially problematic issues in her life, and because of this cannot find a meaning or a reason for her existence.

Because Oedipa can't find fulfillment in concrete life, she turns to something extraordinary, romanticizing events which normally would seem to be merely circumstantial. The fact that she is so interested in this mystery, and the fact that she blocks out key parts of her life (including her relationship with her husband) in order to pursue this mystery, should be a hint to readers that Oedipa has a skewed perception of the Tristero.

Through analyzing the reason for her obsession with the Tristero mystery, it can be deduced from Oedipa's obvious skewed view of the mystery that it is most likely a figment of her imagination.

Names in 'The Crying of Lot 49'

The symbolism of names and puns in “The Crying of Lot 49” is most certainly a significant part of understanding the text. Mucho Maas’ name and the name of his radio station are especially key parts to understanding the relationship between Oedipa and her husband.
Oedipa’s husband’s name (Mucho Maas) sounds very similar to the Spanish phrase ‘mucho mas’, which means ‘much more’. The full significance of this name will most likely be revealed later in the novel but, after reading the first chapter, this name already holds a certain amount of import. Perhaps this phrase ‘much more’ is in reference to Oedipa’s perception of her husband, and the plethora (‘much more’) of conflicting feelings that she feels towards him. She acknowledges that she had hoped to escape something through her relationship with Pierce, although she does not remember what she wanted to escape . This leads readers to believe that perhaps she wanted to escape her marriage with Mucho. She also questions Mucho’s mental capabilities; she is not only unsure about her relationship with Mucho, but also about Mucho himself. And yet, she still remains with him, demonstrating the conflicting emotions which she hold towards him.
The name of Mucho’s radio station is also demonstrative of Oedipa’s conflicting emotions and opinions towards her husband and things associated with him. His radio station (KCUF) is actually ‘fuck’ spelled backwards. Because this word generally has negative connotations, it can be concluded that Oedipa’s view of her husband is not entirely positive, and yet somehow she still remains with him.
By reflecting Oedipa’s opinion through the usage of names in this novel, I am of course making the assumption that Pynchon is portraying these other characters through Oedipa’s perspective. This idea is probable, as Oedipa herself has a name very similar to Oedipus, a renowned Greek hero, and this name reflects her status as the protagonist and main character of the novel. Assuming that this is true, and that she is indeed the main character of the novel, it can be concluded that the usage of names in this novel is representative of Oedipa’s conflicting emotions towards her marriage.

Female Oppression

Hierarchy plays a huge role in the structure of "There Was a Queen", by Faulkner. This hierarchy is not only found in racial dynamics, but also in the roles which males and females are expected to play. Two prominent examples of these gender roles are the young boys' societal position, and the perception of female sexuality.
It is mentioned near the end of the story that the boy has to move from his dead grandfather's place at the end of the table in order to sit next to his mother. This placement of seating is symbolic on many levels. The first, and most obvious, is that, by sitting in that seat originally, it is expected that one day the boy will take on the responsibilities of the grandfather and inherit the estate (he is, after all, the 'man of the house'). Another less obvious significance which can be taken from this movement is the fact that, by becoming closer to his mother and to women in general, he is in fact giving up some of his power. He is essentially moving down in status by becoming closer to his mother.
Narcissa's reaction to her niece's choice to sleep with a man who was not her husband (in order to have her anonymous love letters back in her possession), is to say the least, a very extreme response to an event which may seem quite frivolous to modern readers. This is representative of the value which was placed on the purity of females, even causing death through shock when it was discovered that pureness had been violated.
This value of purity is enforced by the fact that Narcissa’s niece found the love letters to be a source of embarrassment (although secretly she enjoyed them). It was, after all, not acceptable for women to feel lust during this time period. This sexual oppression is strongly linked to women’s perceived social inferiority to men. A man (which the boy one day will become) is allowed to sit at the head of the table, and is encouraged to accept his feelings of sexuality. This ideal most certainly does not hold true for women.

"The Young Housewife"

The Young Housewife", by William Carlos Williams, when first read appears to be a simple description of a beautiful girl standing inside her house calling the 'ice-man' (perhaps), and coming out to meet him on the curb. However, after analyzing this description, it becomes obvious that seemingly ordinary ideas in the poem may very well be significantly symbolic. Barry Ahearn remarks in William Carlos Williams and Alerity: The Early Poetry that perhaps the continuous barriers presented in the poem are representative of the barriers which divide the married woman and the man in the car. The walls of the house may very well represent the walls of society, while the curb represents spacial division.
But then the question that comes to mind is-why should it matter if these seemingly non-related individuals have barriers between them? The most logical answer that comes to mind is that these barriers could be said to be preventing, or hindering the man and the woman from having an affair. It would be logical to assume that they have some sort of intense personal relation, as the man is able to describe what the woman does inside of her house. Either he is fantasizing about her actions behind the walls, or he is intimately aware of how she acts in her house.
Perhaps, as Marjorie Perloff suggests in The dance of the intellect: Studies in the poetry of the Pound tradition, this whole interlude is indeed based on fantasy, and the man does not actually know what occurs behind her walls. Perhaps the man in the car is merely looking at a stranger, and imagining this moment to be more significant than it is. Perhaps, in his odd fantasy, he longs to crush the leaf which he compares the woman to under the wheels of his car, and craves the oppression of females.
Whether or not the man in the car knows the woman standing on the curb, the fact remains that this poem is more than a beautiful description; Williams’ work is rife with symbolism and makes the reader truly stop and question his intent behind his work.