Chapter 5
- Please keep these annotations SPOILER-FREE by not revealing information from later pages in the novel.
112/117 -- Walter Reuther
Walter Philip Reuther (September 1, 1907 – May 9, 1970) was a labor leader with the UAW & CIO.
113/118 -- Mikolaj Rej
Renaisance era Polish poet, one of the founders of Polish literature. An article by the Finish Maritime Index (Brzoza, K. "Finish Maritime Sisters" 04-05) lists a cargo ship of the sizable Wihuri class under just such a name, operated by Polish Ocean Lines of Gdynia.
123/128 -- killed and boiled a catechumen
A catechumen is a "learner," one who is being instructed in the Christian faith. In the early church, a catechumen was one who underwent rigorous instruction in preparation for Holy Baptism. The word comes from the Greek and means "to echo" or "sound in the ear." Catechumens were traditionally taught through question and answer, with the answer echoing back what was first taught. A catechism is a book of instruction, often in the form of questions and answers. [1]
According to Molly Hite in Ideas of Order in the Novels of Thomas Pynchon, "Mafia is a parody of Ayn Rand, whose influence was at its peak in the early sixties when V. first appeared." [2]
127/133 "All quite mysterious and Dashiell Hammettlike"
Referring, of course, to the author of detective novels such as The Maltese Falcon.
128/134 Taken a Brody
This colorful term refers to Steve Brody, 1st man to survive a jump off the Brooklyn Bridge in 1885.
133/139 alter kocker
Jewish phrase of German origin, literally "old defecator" but describes someone who is "inept at everything they do" (see Talking Jewish)
References
- ↑ Lutheran Church Liturgical Glossary
- ↑ Hite, Molly, Ideas of Order in the Novels of Thomas Pynchon, Ohio State University Press, 1983p.162, fn.13
| Chapter 1 In which Benny Profane, a schlemihl and human yo-yo, gets to an apocheir 9/1 |
Chapter 2 The Whole Sick Crew 44/39 |
Chapter 3 In which Stencil, a quick-change artist, does eight impersonations 61/59 |
Chapter 4 In which Esther gets a nose job 95/97 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chapter 5 In which Stencil nearly goes West with an alligator 111/115 |
Chapter 6 In which Profane returns to street level 134/141 |
Chapter 7 She hangs on the western wall 152/161 |
Chapter 8 In which Rachel gets her yo-yo back, Roony sings a song, and Stencil calls on Bloody Chiclitz 213/229 |
| Chapter 9 Mondaugen's story 229/247 |
Chapter 10 In which various sets of young people get together 280/305 |
Chapter 11 Confessions of Fausto Maijstral 304/333 |
Chapter 12 In which things are not so amusing 347/385 |
| Chapter 13 In which the yo-yo string is revealed as a state of mind 367/407 |
Chapter 14 V. in love 393/437 |
Chapter 15 Sahha 415/461 |
Chapter 16 Valletta 424/471 |
| Epilogue, 1919 456/507 |
