A Unique Irony

As I approached the end of chapter 5 I was confused. The book had been following a certain story and it suddenly introduced a totally different one. Every single character in the book seemed to go crazy. At this point the satire was getting the best of me. Pynchon has changed the way the readers view the characters so many times that I did not know the characters. This gives him a little bit of freedom to write about whatever he feels like. Making jokes can take a long time, especially if they have to be on the same topic. Another reason could be satire itself. The irony in what the character from the past chapter does in the present one. This change in characters not only confuses the reader but also keeps him interested. It is a mixture of two feelings that make the book unique.

Pynchon continues to amaze me with his ability to combine two very different topics: teachings and jokes. Even though he gives the reader all of the teachings under disguise, once in a while you are able to pick one up. When Oedipa enters the gay bar I thought it would only be funny. I was not expecting to learn anything that I could apply. To my surprise one man mentioned how his “big mistake was love. From this day I swear to stay of love: hetero, homo, bi, dog or cat, car, every type there is” (93). If I had not been paying attention I would have easily missed this. Love is a very complicated emotion. History has proven that people will go to great lengths for love. Not to love again is like saying you will not be happy again because you are afraid of being sad. Life has to be enjoyed and I think it is ironical that a gay person would propose an end to love.