Manipulative words: The Crying of Lot 49

The Crying of Lot 49 is not very easy to understand since the author uses a lot of techniques that imply avoiding the use of commas, mixing up the order of words, omitting connecters between ideas, etc. When I was done reading the first chapter I realized that I had read some pages more than once so I could be able to grasp the main events that were talking place.

The first element that I noticed that was used by the author was the use of names that had words with different meanings within their own structure. For example, “Mucho Mass,” Oedipa’s husband, in Spanish means much more. This may imply that the character has a much more important role in the novel or that his personality symbolizes something important. Another example is Dr. Hilarious who has a very ironic name simply because in the story he is evil-minded as he stocks Oedipa and wants to make her part of an experiment by drugging her. There is nothing hilarious about it, but it does go with the character because he has a very sarcastic tone. The other name that I would like to mention is Roseman, Oedipa’s layer. The name he is given in the novel goes a lot with the intentions of the character, since he seems to have a big crush on Oedipa, and is also trying to flirt with her. The fact that “Rose” is inside his name shows the reader his romanticism and part of his intensions.

Death is mentioned in the first chapter of The Crying of Lot 49 in the following manner, “the violence that had caused each wreck being infrequent enough, far enough away from him, to be miraculous, as each death, up till the moment of our own, is miraculous.”(4) When reading this segment I thought that it was related to the theme in SlaughterHouse-Five as simply because it stated that death was a miracle. In Vonnegut’s novel, death for Billy Pilgrim was also a miracle as it was something that he had to experience frequently, but that he always reversed when traveling through time. For Billy it was also a miracle because he would never remain in that state for eternity because of his special ability.

The Crying of Lot 49, is also directly related to Brave New World as there are certain elements that both of these stories share. We can see one of those in the citation below, “‘I didn’t’ wake you up, did I?’ He began dry. ‘You sound so frightened. How are the pills, not working?’

‘I’m not taking them,’ she said.

‘You feel threatened by them?’

‘You don’t believe that they are only tranquilizers?

‘Do I trust you? ’She didn’t, and what he said next explained why not.

‘We still need a hundred fourth for the bridge.’ Chuckled aridly. The bridge.. being his pet name for the experiment he was helping the community hospital run on effects of LSD-25, mescaline, psilocybin and related drugs on a large sample of suburban housewife’s.”(7-8)

This has such a strong connection with Brave New World because both books are using drugs to control people and therefore be able to manipulate them as society wants. In Brave New World, everybody consumes soma, to maintain a stable life with happiness and avoiding any frustration or doubt. The main character of this novel, as well as Oedipa, tries to rebel against this, as he realized that it is used against his will and that it’s purposes are not for the wellbeing of the citizens, but of the government.

Finally I wanted to address the following questions:

1. Why did Pierce make Oedipa his will executor?
2. What are the intentions of the experiment being done to Oedipa through those drugs?
3. What kind of lot is it where Mucho works and what is its relation to the plot of the novel?

Vocabulary

Litigation: a legal proceeding in a court; a law suit: a judicial contest to determine and enforce legal rights

Codicil: a supplement to a will, containing an addition, explanation, modification, etc., of something in the will.

Buffer: a person or thing that shields and protects against annoyance, harm, hostile forces, etc., or that lessens the impact of a shock or reversal.

any reserve moneys, negotiable securities, legal procedures, etc., that protect a person, organization, or country against financial ruin.

Rapport: Relationship, especially one of mutual trust or emotional affinity.

Ambivalence: coexistence within an individual of positive and negative feelings toward the same person, object, or action, simultaneously drawing him or her in opposite directions.