Gravity's Rainbow - Wrap Up: Enter Stage Right, World War III

Analysis of Gravity's Rainbow, Wrap Up: Loose Threads, a Conclusion, and a Thank You

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Hello all! Back one more time (for Gravity’s Rainbow, at least) to do a little tidying up.

So, to start us off:

Tying Up Loose Ends:

Slothrop’s Original Quest:

Whatever happened to the thing that set Slothrop’s quest off in the first place? Everything began because of his questioning why bombs were dropping wherever he had sex or even just had an erection. He learned that this occurred due to some Pavlovian conditioning by Laszlo Jamf when he (Slothrop) was a child, but this thread seems to be lar gely abandoned once he goes off to the Casino Hermann Goering and especially once he makes it to Germany. But why is such an interesting thread left unexplained?

Firstly, remember that Slothrop is the archetypal American. He represents many of us (not necessarily a fully oppressed Preterite, but someone who is more privileged so as to have the ability to do something like read and analyze Gravity’s Rainbow or read and analyze the world). Therefore, what this initial journey is meant to display is the archetypal American’s own inciting moment where they begin to question the world around them (or any nationality who lives in the realm of a world run by the military industrial complex, which, oh wait, that’s everyone). If you began realizing that your own lust and desire had deep subconscious connections to war and violence, wouldn’t you want to explore that further? And when you began this exploration, if you learned that throughout the entirety of your childhood, you were conditioned (see: propagandized) to elicit this, quote-unquote, sexual response to mass death, would you not want to see why certain groups would want you to have positive feelings toward heinous acts? If you discovered that your father and ‘family’ (family being those who ‘raised’ America) played a major part in this propaganda, would it not terrify you? leading you to question if your family was in on it, or if they just had your best interest at heart at the expense of all else, or if they had been propagandized as well?

That is why the quest was abandoned. It was not useful anymore once Slothrop’s understanding of his connection with the military industrial complex and other capitalist/Elite power structures was realized. Now that he is set out on his quest, its purpose has been served. Though, it is important that the idea of his origin is kept in mind throughout the remainder of the novel because even though it is abandoned, and even though he did realize the connection existed, this does not mean that the implications of his brainwashing were immediately rendered innocuous. They would always be there in the recesses of his mind, subconscious or otherwise.

The Schwarzkommando:

Enzian and Co. achieved their goal of developing a second 00000, the 00001. But then their story ends. There is no utilization of the rocket, no seen attempt to sabotage their attainment of it, and we barely see them even get to their final destination: the Heath.

But their future is in the subtext. We saw that when Katje visited the Schwarzkommando’s camp, there were very explicit intonations about the Schwarzkommando being a Black Panther analog. For example, they worked among the oppressed African people, those who were genocided in Africa and who made their way to a white foreign land. Afterward, in order to help their people, they formed a collective coalition who proceeded to provide the free lunch, the free and safe schools, and other protection that the society which originally oppressed them refused to provide. Then, in order to increase their safety, they took up the same arms (i.e. the 00001) that the military and police state used against them.

So how does their story end? Well, we don’t really know. At the time Pynchon was writing Gravity’s Rainbow, the Black Panther Party still existed. A few years after its publication is when we would begin to see its forced downfall. Their weapons and power would be seized, and their people would return to the same standard they were at before, if not worse. The hope lies in the fact that the Schwarzkommando is not a mere 1-for-1 representation of the Black Panthers alone, but for any oppressed revolutionary group who was, is doing, or could do the same thing. The answer lies in that the only way they can achieve this is not by capitulating to the system or by using the tools that the system provides — it is by seizing the same tools used against them and fighting back.

Slothrop’s End:

Slothrop’s disintegration occurred after the bomb drop, because through his journey, he had learned of and at times even succumbed to the vastness of the power structures at play, and with the bomb dropping, the most severe outcome of Their plan that could have occurred, had finally occurred. So, there was really nothing left to learn. The lengths that They would go to in order to maintain Their power was known. There were quite literally no bounds. And seeing this, Slothrop being America, dissolved into the world for a few reasons.

First, he is the embodiment of the enlightened critic who has seen, witnessed, and been a part of these structures, so his dissolution is the distribution of that information into the world as the hope that someone like the Counterforce will arise and use that information to spur further revolution. Secondly, it is also the death of America as a force of good in the world. America’s redemption as a beneficent America is wholly impossible, and that notion would be furthered in the coming Cold War (World War III). So, Slothrop’s death is also signaling this type of death, for while Slothrop succumbed to some of the most evil sins imaginable, he did not attempt to subject the Preterite and exploit the lives of those within the country that he represented on a mass scale. He was, however flawed, a force of hope — a possible sign that America could be redeemed from its sins. But that possibility is no more. It does not mean that the world cannot be redeemed, or that the land on which America, Europe, of other similarly exploitative lands lie, can be rebuilt upon just as the Zone and the Raketen Stadt was built over them. Finally, as seen in 4.6 and 4.12, with various instances of Slothrop’s fragmented memory, we have seen how these last two ideas will work their way into the minds of the people in a coming late 20th-century America, both in good and bad manners: the desire for true revolution compared to the development of new military and police technology, or the desire for a return to one’s simpler childhood compared to the viewing of one’s children as commodities and trophies, or the possibility that oppressed classes will be able to discover a ‘sound-shadow’ compared to the oppression of these classes via the militarized police.

Slothrop was America, and his fragmented mind is its future. In a way, it is his mind that Pynchon will explore in his post-WWII novels: V., The Crying of Lot 49, Inherent Vice, Vineland, and, though this one is more of an evolution of his mind, Bleeding Edge.

Tchitcherine:

Tchitcherine was the Soviet version of Slothrop. His journey paralleled Slothrop in a number of ways. First, we saw how something within his past led to his initial discovery that the world was not as it seemed, this being when his interactions with Wimpe revealed the nature of the pharmaceutical and drug distribution realm, its connection to the State, and his subsequent exile due to it. Upon his exile, just as with Slothrop’s ‘exile’ to the Hotel Hermann Goering, he was sent to Kyrgyzstan to distribute the NTA (the New Turkic Alphabet). And finally, he escaped to the Zone, where he learned of the importance of the Schwarzgerät and began his search for it. (The difference in his quest was his simultaneous search for Enzian).

But why did his story so suddenly end with an anti-climax, and why so differently than Slothrop’s? The Soviet Union did not drop the Bomb. And, with their admittedly many faults, they did attempt to seek a way to elevate the Preterite beyond their oppression. Hence, using ‘magical’ (see: alternatives from the norm) means like that which Geli enchanted Tchitcherine with. With these means, these nations would form alliances with those far more oppressed countries represented by Enzian and his Schwarzkommando. Which is why the meeting between these two brothers did not end in murder or death, but in the exchanging of material goods which would benefit and ease the other on their journey. Tchitcherine, who has been attempting to stop the Herero from attaining a Rocket, allows them to pass with it. It is a solidarity between the classes that had been (or would soon be) oppressed.

The Scientists:

Pointsman, who only ever strove for recognition and notoriety in his realm, is left with nothing. Franz Pökler, who wanted to create change and was blinded by the possibilities of science, is left with no wife, no daughter, just the exile to a land once filled with innocence. Blicero, though his ‘romantic’ quest did not provide him with the release or the ascension that he truly desired, “If you’re wondering where he’s gone, look among the successful academics, the Presidential advisers, the token intellectuals who sit on boards of directors. He is almost surely there. Look high, not low” (4.12, pg. 749). They each represent a facet of the sin built into a world of science, leaving these men with either nothing, or (if they’re willing to commit to that Faustian bargain) with everything.

The Anubis:

The vessel floats on down any ocean and river it so chooses. Its riders may change, some may fall off unwillingly or some may willingly leave. But most of the riders remain. Their children will be passengers one day — new riders unbound by mortal or terrestrial laws.

The Counterforce:

Finally, the Counterforce was seemingly left with no resolution. A few of them conducted the Alliterative revolution in the dining hall of a bourgeoise family, some created pacts with other revolutionary groups as with Katje and the Schwarzkommando, and some simply sought answers as with Pirate searching the Zone for Slothrop. But, for a section named after them, we really have no conclusion as to their quest.

First, the possibility of what they could achieve is given in the allegory that was the Alliterative revolution (4.8). Along with that, we see their thesis put forward in song at the very end of the novel (4.12). However, the Counterforce’s achievements or failures will not really be explored until Pynchon’s coming novels, already listed above. The important aspect of this section is their formation — what led them to deem it important enough to fight back against such an oppressive system. Because in order to achieve change, it must be strived for first.

The Others:

Here’s a very brief rundown of all the main characters (feel free to skip this as there is no analysis, it’s just nice to know where everyone left off). Captain Blicero launched the 00000 and likely was taken to America afterward via Operation Paperclip. Enzian, after passing Tchitcherine, made it to the Heath with the Schwarzkommando and the 00001. Pointsman sat in his new office at Twelfth House, producing less and less work every year. Tchitcherine was last seen, lying with Geli and passing Enzian by. Katje Borgesius after helping form the Counterforce, joined up with the Zone Herero and an understanding was drawn between her and this group despite their previously believed differences. Andreas and Christian also made it to the Heath with the Herero. Bianca committed suicide upon the Anubis. Lyle Bland rose into the æther, becoming a Slothropian consciousness for that of the Elite. Teddy Bloat has not been seen for a while now, so it is unclear. Pig Bodine helped Slothrop escape Cuxhaven, though he was also seen as a part of Slothrop’s consciousness, writing My Doper’s Cadenza. Säure Bummer was seen arguing with Gustav while Pirate flew above, though he was also seen in the same part of Slothrop’s consciousness as Bodine was. Byron the Bulb, if he was that projector in the theater at the end, has burned out, only briefly coming back to project us the final song. Clayton ‘Bloody’ Chiclitz was last seen in Germany with Marvy but would soon be moving to America to begin Yoyodyne, a weapons manufacturer. Stephen Dodson-Truck has joined the Counterforce, and was last seen contemplating his wife, Nora. Greta Erdmann likely still rides aboard the Anubis, though it is unclear. Carroll Eventry has joined the Counterforce. Osbie Feel has joined the Counterforce. Thomas Gwenhidwy has joined the Counterforce. Laszlo Jamf remains dead, though influential on the Sciences and the Market. Jeremy (Beaver) has won Jessica over and works in the naval defense forces. Ludwig (and Ursula) were last seen following the Schwarzkommando to the Heath. Major Marvy remains castrated and has not been seen since said castration. Roger Mexico joined the Counterforce, conducted the Alliterative revolution, and escaped to tell the tale. Morituri lost his family in Hiroshima and joined the Counterforce. Tantivy Mucker-Maffick passed away, likely killed, and remained a guardian angel to the innocent. Josef Ombindi remained with the Schwarzkommando, under Enzian’s command, no longer (at least in this story) calling for mass suicide. Ilse Pökler died in the Dora camp. Leni Pökler likely still remains a prostitute in Europe. Pirate Prentice not only joined but formed the Counterforce. Brigadier Pudding died of E. coli poisoning from eating literal shit. Géza Rózsavölgyi joined the Counterforce. Broderick, Nalline, and Hogan Slothrop remain alive in America. Kevin Spectro was killed by the bomb called down by Slothrop’s tryst with Darlene. Squalidozzi was last seen with the other Anarchists near the Heath, waiting for Gerhardt von Göll. Jessica Swanlake left Roger for Beaver and was last seen crying and running away from the Alliterative revolution. Miklos Thanatz went overboard the Anubis only to travel among the Preterite, to be saved by the Schwarzkommando, and to have a better understanding of the world. Geli Tripping finally found Tchitcherine and prevented calamity. Gerhardt von Göll was possibly going to meet the Anarchists to make the Fierro film, though more than likely he will not.

Did I forget anyone?

Conclusion:

I don’t think it’s possible to conclude or summarize what Gravity’s Rainbow is about, or what it means. I mean, that’s the reason I’ve spent what is closing in on 200,000 words analyzing this book. But to put it succinctly in a couple paragraphs:

Gravity’s Rainbow begins with the culmination of world powers who have been allowed to gather the level of influence they unfortunately had.¹ This power, now gained, was something that the Elite would never be willing to let go of without a fight. Hence, They needed to rework the world into something which would allow this power to be maintained, and which would render the oppressed population either voiceless, ignorant, or unwilling to stop it. Thus, those like Slothrop were conditioned to have a fetish for violence. Those like Ilse, Gottfried, and Bianca had their innocence ruthlessly stripped from them so they would have no will, ability, or life to desire change. Those in the general population would see acts of war and not see the behind- the-scenes action involving Markets. Those like the scientists would strive for notoriety and love instead of experimenting to find meaningful discoveries. And the Market itself would evolve to provide all of the things that the population so desires (i.e. bananas as an allegory for food products or plastic rocket trinkets as a one for minor enjoyable commodities) in order to render them just happy enough to be okay with their oppression; or, if they were a part of a group that did not receive these things, would keep them oppressed and subjugated enough so they would not have the will to fight back.

The novel is therefore an observation of how War, Markets, and the like, all work to maintain and elevate the power and wealth of the Elite (think of Blicero’s desired ‘ascension’ or even more nefariously, the group of white-faced men in black cars who arrived on scene only to sexually use Erdmann). They have a deep desire for control, sexual subjugation and otherwise, just as the riders of the Anubis had. The novel moves on as a full-on condemnation on geo/para-political systems that are built quite literally to oppress and poor, working class, powerless demographics around the world using methods from industry, colonization, monopolization, imperialism, profiteering, and other means. But the novel is more than a mere observation, for the purpose is not merely to observe, but to reveal. It explores and searches for the precise reasons for and explanations of how the systems work, what their origins are, and the minutiae in which they evolve. And through the revelation of the reality of our situation, we are also given the intellectual and emotional tools to fight back against Them. For the novel is not purely meant to instill existential and conspiratorial dread, it also shows the humanity in the groups of people which these systems are meant to oppress, even going as far as showing the humanity in the people working for these systems unknowingly (or, at least not knowing the drastic level of their complicity). We then see a variety of plotlines for characters actively trying to understand the system and their place within it (Slothrop searching for the origin of this all, Pirate coming to terms with himself as an intelligence officer and even going as far as inciting revolution, Thanatz being shunned by the Elite and realizing what the Anubis really was, the Schwarzkommando seeking a safe haven for their people, and so on). And with that, the novel finally reveals how people can still have hope within such a horribly oppressive world, showing humor both crude and genuine, a love and lust for life, passages that evoke the beauty of our existence, all making this world worth fighting for.

But it is a world that must be fought for together, not as individuals. William Slothrop’s “Now everybody—” and opposed to Blicero’s “Now—” (both 4.12, pg. 760).

Thank you

I began this project because my friend decided to read this book given my love for it, and I decided to read it for the third time with him. It was the read where I finally believed I understood Gravity’s Rainbow to a significant degree. This book has quite literally meant the world to me from my first read around 2018. Since I knew that many people avoided it because of its length or notoriety, because many interpreted it merely as an experimental war novel that goes against the literary tradition, because some believe that Pynchon’s weirder/funnier passages held no meaning and were just him being odd or talking about things he liked, and because I genuinely think that largely understanding this novel can inspire political action and thought, I decided to start up this site.

I never expected to actually finish it let alone write almost 200,000 words. And I certainly never expected to have a subscriber list of 1,000 people regularly following along, commenting, advertising for me, and so on. I was worried that my highly political commentary would turn most people off, but the fact that it didn’t gives me hope.

So, I would like to give you my immense thanks for following this project. I probably am overexaggerating, but it feels like one of my biggest accomplishments. I hope it gave you the tools to observe not only the novel in a new light, but the world around you in a new light as well. It certainly has to me.

I hope you continue following along for what is to come. Next week I will be posting an advertisement for my next project on this SubStack, because I’m definitely not even close to being done yet.

Expect the schedule as follows:

• February 8 (next Saturday): Announcement Post

• February 15 (the Saturday after): First new post

  • Potentially Februrary 22 if I feel like I need a week break, but most likely not.

Thank you again, and I hope you continue following along in the future!

In solidarity,
Andrew

1. One can see how these powers were attained in Pynchon’s two novels that historically took place before Gravity’s Rainbow. In Mason & Dixon in the mid- to late- 18th century, through its exploration of racial and class oppression, the abstract formation of borders in order to achieve unspoken goals, and in the destruction of any sort of magic in the world in favor of profit. And in Against the Day with its development of heavily industrial capitalism, the elevation of science to the importance it has in Gravity’s Rainbow, and explicit anti-worker anti-revolutionary oppression, all in the late-19th- and early-20th-century.