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http://dx.doi.org/10.5762/KAIS.2016.17.7.451

Is it a real Conspiracy or just a Paranoia? : The Crying of Lot 49  

Ryu, Da-Young (Liberal Arts School, Jungwon University)
Publication Information
Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society / v.17, no.7, 2016 , pp. 451-458 More about this Journal
Abstract
The Crying of Lot 49 presents the writer's major ideas through Oedipa Maas who tries to seek out the truth of a mysterious underground postal network, Tristero. Of the many themes inherent in The Crying of Lot 49, probably the most important and widespread of all is 'paranoia', which plays a major role in helping us to comprehend and appreciate other thematic ideas. The other main motif in this novel is a conspiracy. However, it is really difficult to distinguish between reality and fantasy in the crazed environment. Therefore, it is uncertain that the existence of Tristero is a real conspiracy or just a paranoia. The world revealed to her after considering Tristero's knowledge is totally different from the world previously familiar to Oedipa and she discovers that the nature and origins of Tristero will not be a quest of simple curiosity any longer and she greatly needs to escape from the closed system of perception. The secret of the Tristero case should be found in order to return to reality. In addition, accepting what Oedipa has seen and heard may be a reasonable way for her to become a paranoiac.
Keywords
Conspiracy; Entropy; Paranoia; Pynchon; The Crying of Lot 49;
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  • Reference
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