Symbolic Deconstruction in Thos Pynchon's The Crying of Lot 49

Symbols are very important and influential to everyone. Symbols holds a hidden meaning that, in most cases, are more influential than telling it blunt. Yes, sometimes telling it bluntly works but putting it as a symbol shows a deeper meaning and relevance to what you, your community, or your nation stands for.

The idea of symbolism is widely understood, but many do not understand that symbols can have many different meanings. Foster highlights this point

Questions reader should ask when trying to determine symbolic meaning: “what’s the writer doing with this image, this object, this act; what possibilities are suggested by the movement of the narrative or the lyric; and most important, what does it feel like it’s doing?” (Foster 59).

     For as long as I could read comprehensively, I have always believed that great writing centered around well written stories that would both provide a certain measure of unaffected pleasure, as well as challenge the readers perception of the world at large; both within and outside of the sphere of its prose. Thomas Pynchons' The Crying of Lot 49 encompasses both of those requirements; by enfolding his readers, through a variety of means, within the intricate workings of his narrative. It centers around would be heroine Oedipa Maas, a practical but somewhat restless woman, who's life is turned upside down when she discovers that she has been made executor of the estate of old

I wanted to give a brief introduction to the language of symbols by giving my opinion on some very common examples. Correlation does not equal causation but the pattern of association can often lead us to a more discerning perspective when examining usage of symbolism. Symbolism is used purposefully and with intent in many cases as we will see but it is also frequently used unintentionally as well. I chose a few simple examples for this video to get us started on the topic. Some of these images may be disturbing to you so now may be a good time to pause this

In the books Candide, The Glass Menagerie, Their Eyes were Watching God, and My Name is Asher Lev written by Voltaire, Tennessee Williams, Zora Neale Hurston, and Chaim Potok, they are all discernibly different stories, yet they all appear to share the common theme of perseverance in varying degrees to find that happiness is not always awaiting them. I have found that the various symbolic language combined with each author’s different style of writing not only makes each story unique, but they also affect each reader’s perceptions.

Symbolism is a characteristic that stands out in a person or thing. People usually use symbolism for something that means to them or represents to them. The symbols are used for many things, for example the apple on the iphone, laptop or iPod symbolizes the brand. Symbols are also used in churches, for example the cross symbolizes Jesus Christ. It symbolizes how he was crucified, put to death on a cross. The colors symbolize something’s to for example the colors white, red and blue symbolize freedom in the United States, it also represents the United States flag. Symbols are also used in movies like the hunger games catching fire; their symbol is a mocking bird with an arrow on it.

Secondly, these symbols establish powerful and long-lasting moods and motivations. This means that the symbols, such as the sweat lodge ceremony practiced by many Plains Indians or the marriage ceremony of Christianity and many other religions, are what motivate people and are also that which helps to establish peoples’ states of being. The symbols “express the world’s climate and shape it” (Geertz, page ). Symbols are powerful because they encourage people, those who worship the symbol, into certain moods (Geertz). This means that, given certain situations where a symbol might be present or act as a motivator, the person might feel a certain way or be motivated to act in a certain manner. These, states Geertz are the two different dispositions which might be induced (page ). Motivations, from a

According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, entropy can be defined as “the degree of disorder or uncertainty in a system.” In his novel, The Crying of Lot 49, Thomas Pynchon manipulates the definition of the scientific term “entropy” to manifest the innate chaos and disorder in both a closed thermodynamic system and in the life of the protagonist: Oedipa Maas. In the novel, Oedipa Maas explores entropy with respect to the thermodynamic sorting of molecules in Maxwell’s Demon, and the communication information regarding the “Tristero”. According to Warren Weaver’s, Recent Contributions to The Mathematical Theory of Communication, there are technical, semantic, and effectiveness problems that may distort the accuracy of communication,

Thomas Pynchon’s The Crying of Lot 49 (1966) is one of the early instances of postmodern literature, in which the spread of mass culture plays a central role. In addition, the novel explores the ways, in which conspiracy of unknown forces or structures influence an individual’s vision of the world and self. The entire novel is saturated with references to popular culture; Oedipa’s world is filled with and dominated by mass culture technology, such as television, radio and newspaper, and most of the people around her are in some ways representing various historical figures. The names of the characters are an essential aspect of The Crying of Lot 49, and are reflecting both popular culture and the struggle to determine one’s identity in the novel. Oedipa’s name is a reference to the Ancient Greek tragedy

However, hieroglyphs can be merely decorative--intriguing manifestations of absolutely nothing; and therefore random signals broadcast to the medium at large; a medium of which Oedipa just happens to be a part.Oedipa's dilemma quickly becomes a parallel to the theorized task of Maxwell's Demon:Where the Demon is fabled to sort hot from cold molecules and thus produce Work, Oedipa must sort useful from useless information and thus produce Meaning.Through it all, the underlying question with which Oedipa flirts but never confronts: Isn't it all, perhaps, just noise?

In the poems “The Wanderer” and “The Dream of the Rood,” anonymous authors give way to the idea that an Almighty God will solve every problem a person has by doing two things: 1) drawing upon the memories of a warrior who has lost everything near and dear to him due to war, and 2) entering the dream of a man who has been exiled and isolated. Each piece takes its reader through the trials and tribulations that one may not relate to in this era, yet the reader is still there alongside the character wanting them to find peace with their world and themselves. Initially, it is believed that the characters will overcome their hardships and achieve the happiness they seek. However, as the reader delves deeper into the character’s story, there is an overwhelming sense of incompleteness. What actually happens at the end of each piece is not written in stone - telling us the story is not whole - nor has a conclusion been reached. The intrapersonal thoughts being shared with the reader reveal the obstacles that keep an overall wholeness from occurring.

Symbols are used to signify values and ideas, carrying meaning beyond that which appears to be described. Political symbols, in particular, represent the ideals that define a society, and as such, are compelling forces. Some such symbols can be used to instill fear in people and subdue them to allow corrupt regimes to continue to asserting their dominance in a society and maintain control. In the face of such injustice and oppression, other political symbols can, arguably, carry an even greater value, as they can give strength to the marginalized, giving them an emblem under which they can express their ideals. Simple objects can hold such power since the ideas they symbolize are timeless, transcending a single

     Symbolism is defined as the practice of representing things by means of symbols or of attributing symbolic meanings or significance to objects, events, or relationships. The whole

Symbols, time and place, and open and closed aspects are fundamental elements that are used to construct rituals. Symbols are actions or objects utilized in the ritual that represent a new belief within the family system, which must specifically relate to the particular family culture. The explicit language of the family sometimes determines to symbol used. by Imber-Black 1986nFor example, there was a