ATD 199-218
- Please keep these annotations SPOILER-FREE by not revealing information from later pages in the novel.
Contents
Page 204
Linnet
European finch. Wikipedia
Page 205
against the daylight
A direct example of against the day as against the light. Significantly, Frank's attempt to discern Stray's true facial expression is thwarted by the daylight behind her. An object positioned against the daylight, or, in general, between an observer and a light source, is shadowed or silhouetted -- in Pynchon's words of the same sentence, "veiled by its own penumbra". This is suggestive of the idea that light does not always illuminate.
"faro boxes"
Card game with anti-cheating mechanism that can be fixed. Wikipedia
Page 207
"Bob Meldrum"
1920s outlaw. cite
Page 209
Towers of Silence
Wikipedia
Page 210
Reef learned from the Rev
Implausible that he had time to chat.
Page 212
The upside down star
Talking about the Marshal of Jeshimon, The Rev. of the town says:
"'notice anything in particular?...Observe the star Wes is wearing.'...It
was a five-pointed star, nickel-plated, like they tended to war, except
that it was on upside down. 'Whith the two points up-that's the horns of
the Devil, and signifies that Elderly Gent and his works.'"
In Mason and Dixon: The upside star is a symbol two things that are connected: 1. when M&D are trying to find true north, they look at starts in their telescope at measure when they reach the peak of their arc arcoss the sky. In the telescope the star is upside down. Thus, upside down stars symbolize points which cut through distortion. 2. The star is seen again and again on rifles of both Dutch and American design. They pop up around slavery, a massacre, and an Iron refinery used for making impliments of slavery and war. The rifle is much like a telescope, but differs in that it shoots lead rather then huge sweaping cuts across the landscape. But they are both acts that are branded by evil.
The "upside down star" is also known as the inverted pentagram (with "two horns exalted"), an emblem of the Devil.
Page 213
dusk's reassembly of the broken day
Broken by heat, reassembled as it cools.
Page 214
stole a horse
(What happened to the one he came with, p209?)
Page 215
Socorro
Could he have been visiting Frank at mine school?
Page 216
disrespect
Corruption setting in?
Page 217
Confederate Colt
See p88.
Page 219
Madame Blavatsky
Died 1891. Wikipedia
Page 220
ten-in-one
Ten sideshow acts for one admission. Wikipedia
Page 221
'Tzaddik'
A righteous Jew. Wikipedia
Annotation Index
| Part One: The Light Over the Ranges |
|
|---|---|
| Part Two: Iceland Spar |
119-148, 149-170, 171-198, 199-218, 219-242, 243-272, 273-295, 296-317, 318-335, 336-357, 358-373, 374-396, 397-428 |
| Part Three: Bilocations |
429-459, 460-488, 489-524, 525-556, 557-587, 588-614, 615-643, 644-677, 678-694 |
| Part Four: Against the Day |
695-723, 724-747, 748-767, 768-791, 792-820, 821-848, 849-863, 864-891, 892-918, 919-945, 946-975, 976-999, 1000-1017, 1018-1039, 1040-1062 |
| Part Five: Rue du Départ |
