Entrapment

Thomas Pynchon has a masterful yet confusing way of  concocting an argument based off of a surroundin that totally entraps the reader. One such instance is provided to a reader of The Crying of Lot 49 towards the end of the first chapter. In the scene Pynchon uses his art to create a connection of the reader to the main character Oedipa. The emotion created through the outlet of Oedipa gives the reader no choice but to sympathize for her in her somewhat pathetic state. To aid in the creation of this feeling, Pynchon creates an interaction between Oedipa and the tapestry "Bordando el Manto Terrestre."

Due to Pynchon's genius, the tapestry becomes a direct representation of Oedipa and her emotional state. As Pynchon had just shown us earlier through the Rapunzel comparison, Oedipa is in a state of entrapment. The tapestry helps to further this cause as it creates an image of isolation however grandeur the setting is. Oedipa, infact, feels this in her relationship with Inverarity. Wile she is seperated, through inverarity, from the worlds dark backdrop, she is traped in an overly glorified position. This entrapment is modeled by her unwillingness to let go her tears which are also entrapped behind her glasses. She is trapped inside herself due to a sadness she is unwilling to let go.

Just as a commanding officer is not demoted due to a change in station, so Pynchon's art carries over to his other works. For example, we can draw a comparison from his article, "A Journey into the Mind of Watts". In the article Pynchon uses the same trend of entrapment to show the unpleasant state in which society as a whole is stuck. In the work Pynchon portrays a picture of the division of society along racial lines and the hardships the division creates for both sides.