Reading Response 6-Part Deux -Phil’s Response

I decided to comment on Phil’s response because I have never had the opportunity to tell him that I think he has a lot of very relevant insights that he provides for the class discussions.  I also like your reading response 6.  Swell job Phil..

Phil interpreted the reading response a little differently from me, but I really like what he came up with.  Phil obviously invested time styling his writing so it would mirror and be true to the style with which Pynchon wrote The Crying of Lot 49. Phil’s vignettes help to relay the affect of Oedipa’s experience; her growing sources for information which lead to mounting confusion.  As I saw Audrey also chose to do in her response (with the image of a lamb), Phil used the image of a clover leaf with the word LIFE imprinted on it.  Like Pynchon, these symbols help to move the reader through Phil’s narrative.

Phil’s narrative uses the mode of reason, not necessarily binary reasoning, because there are several different courses Oedipa could chose to take, but reasoning because Oedipa tries to take logical steps to find out what the LIFE symbol means.  Finally, the response definitely leads Oedipa to new information, or at least different information, while also opening new questions.  Phil, similar to Pynchon’s novel, creates new questions without really giving Oedipa answers, which prevents Oedipa, and the reader from reaching the goal.  I think that was also in the directions.  Good job Phil.