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Jed's avatar

I forgot to ask -- something that I've always meant to clear up: do you think that the White Visitation is on/near the White Cliffs of Dover? Yes, right?

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Andrew H.'s avatar

Honestly never crossed my mind. I would assume that's a large possibility. Since TWV is in southern England. It says somewhere that they're near a town called Ick Regis which doesn't seem to actually exist unless I'm mistaken. Maybe that's a clue for where it would be though?

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Jed's avatar

Yeah, good read. Pynchon wiki says Ick Regis "evokes" Lyme Regis, which has a jetty which is in Wales

https://gravitys-rainbow.pynchonwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Pages_47-53#Page_51

Something about the "white" plus the cliff that is jumped off made me always mentally picture Dover.

obv. Regis is "king" as is Reg Le Froyd... I could drive myself batty trying to figure out what Pynchon is saying about monarchy here. That it's sick, casually suicidal etc., I guess

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Jed's avatar

Oh, in the next chapter Mexico watches Pointsman, "The chalk cliffs rear up above, cold and serene as death."

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Mike Boody's avatar

I thought of Dover also, though your comment made me connect Froyd's jump with Gloucester's "jump" from the cliffs of Dover in "King Lear". Just as it's suggested to him by Edgar that he jump, Froyd's also given the idea.

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Jed's avatar

This reminded me of how funny it is that Brigadier Pudding eats shit.

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Andrew H.'s avatar

Honestly cannot wait to write about that chapter.

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