A Quest for Meaning? No, just a WASTE of time

As discussed in class, readers encounter many difficulties while reading and interpreting the novel. As Oedipa quests to discover the secret to the WASTE system, readers attempt to decipher the clues in the text. When we are introduced to the Peter Pinguid Society, the already muddled details enter into an even more confusing spiral.

Pynchon loves to give superfluous details to events that seem extremely irrelevant to the story. The first battle between America and Russia that “the ripples from those two splashes spread, and grew, and today engulf us all,” appears to be an event that may influence the rest of the narrative. Indirectly, it may, but I am more annoyed by it’s long explanation. However, I do appreciate the parallel between the reader trying to understand the significance of this event and Oedipa trying to understand the events and clues that appear throughout the story.

I also appreciate that Pynchon is probably just poking fun at English majors who will sit around for years analyzing his work. The uncertain ending frustrates me, an English major, to no end because it has no resolution. For over 150 pages, I attempt to catch and compile clues that will maybe, possibly lead me to the answer of this giant riddle, and all I am left with is an auction of a stamp collection. Like Inverarity sends Oedipa all over to follow so-called clues, Pynchon sends his reader along to experience similar frustrations.

If I could create my own parallel, I would associate the WASTE system with the waste of my time in trying to solve an unsolvable riddle. I feel for Oedipa because my quest for understanding was just as difficult, uncertain, and frustrating as hers. I had to fight to comprehend long and occasionally improperly punctuated sentences just to understand the plot. Meanwhile, Oedipa took long, erratic trips to follow clues that may have been a game to her ex-lover, anyway. Upon finishing the novel, I can just picture Pynchon sitting back, twiddling his thumbs, and laughing at everyone trying to make meaning out of his novel.