Part 4 - Chapter 0: The Birth of the New World
Gravity's Rainbow Analysis: The Title and Epigraph of Part 4, The Counterforce
Part 4: The Counterforce
Mentions and foreshadowing of this supposed Counterforce have been unraveling for some time now. As far back as Part 1, Chapter 1, we could see people like Pirate Prentice questioning the authenticity and nature of ‘Their’ project. But once the White Visitation was fully dismantled, allowing certain questioning members of the intelligence forces within it to reassess what they had been assisting in creating, this process began to accelerate. Pirate, Katje, Osbie Feel, and others (especially the former two) have readily decided to create this Counterforce (3.23 & 3.24). The Counterforce is a revolutionary group who wants to fight back against Them in order to restore what is right in this world.
Part 4 will explore a few things. First of all, it will explore the Counterforce itself, watching the formation slowly grow and ultimately observing whether or not something like this could be successful in overthrowing the ruling Elite — or at least making a dent. Secondly, it will reveal what the Zone itself has been transformed into. Remember that the Zone was the broken-down continent of Europe (analogizing the broken-down World) after the end of the Eastern Front of WWII. This Zone was merely a ‘canvas’ on which They could paint the New World onto. So, as stated, Part 4 will show us what this new world would look like in regard to emerging agencies, deep states, post war Operations, and even explicit events: to give it a name, the Raketen-Stadt. Finally, it will reveal how each of our main characters end their story: from the good ones like Mexico and Jessica, to the gray ones like Slothrop himself, to the evil ones like Blicero.
The Epigraph:
What?
— Richard M. Nixon
First, the coming section is objectively the most confusing and hard to parse section of an already quite challenging novel. “What?” is a bit of a gag on what readers may be thinking as they finish this book up (especially 4.6 which, let me tell you, will be a tough one to write about). Secondly, someone like Richard M. Nixon, a man who would have immense power and who would help conduct immense evil, saying “What?” right after our group, The Counterforce, is introduced, could be a bit of a joke as well, seeing that this is likely how most politicians would react (in and, “Oh fuck” sort of way) if they were told that someone was coming to overthrow them.
Now, there is no clue as to if this quote was actually taken from a direct speech or if it is just Pynchon having some fun. But the fact that Richard Nixon, who would not be president until the late 60s and who would not even be vice president until the early 50s, is the one saying this about the Counterforce, just goes to prove that Pynchon’s commentary on the power structures being built in the 1940s are mappable right over the events that would come to pass in the Cold War 1960s. While the Zone, and soon the Raketen-Stadt, has now been built, it will take some time to get these structures fully functioning, and we will see how the system perfected itself once we get to Pynchon’s California Trilogy: The Crying of Lot 49, Inherent Vice, and Vineland, all which observe the American 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, respectively. Finally, the use of Nixon’s name goes to show that even if this 1940s Counterforce does not fully succeed, or even if it completely fails, it does not mean we should lose hope. For, sometime in the future, another Counterforce may arise.
The Forgotten Epigraph:
She has brought them to her senses,
They have laughed inside her laughter;
Now she rallies her defenses,
For she fears that one will ask her
For eternity
And she’s so busy being free.— Joni Mitchell, Cactus Tree (1968)1
This was the epigraph that was present in the original manuscript of Gravity’s Rainbow. Again, without restating all of it, the quote is from the late 1960s which further solidifies the theory that this novel, and especially Part 4, is a major commentary of this time period.
But more importantly, the quote inspires a hope for unbound freedom. Through the course of the song, Mitchell shows numerous lovers who have attempted to possess her, not necessarily maliciously, but still possess, nonetheless. And while she does have a deep desire for this love, she values true freedom far more than anything. Similarly, The Counterforce is ‘rallying their defenses,’ and those within it are ready to let go of all they had ever loved in order to bring this freedom to the world. We saw the difficulty in letting go of this ‘love’ in 3.25 when Pirate was beginning to realize all he could lose in the process: for instance, when he realized that “‘No one has ever left the Firm alive, no one in history — and no one ever will’” (3.25, pg. 543). But as he and Katje looked above them and saw the weight of the world’s sorrows resting on their decision to form this Counterforce, they decided that freedom for the world is worth the loss they may endure.
Up Next: Part 4, Chapter 1
4.1 is one of my absolute favorite chapters of the novel. It was probably my favorite until rereading and analyzing Pirate’s Dream (3.25) on this current read through. But nonetheless, it is a perfect way to start off our journey into The Counterforce.
One of the best, most beautiful, most poetic songs ever written. Please go listen to it!