questions about chapter 6 of the crying of lot 49
After reading Chapter 6 of Pynchon’s The Crying of Lot 49, discuss the following:
- In the final chapter, Oedipa learns about the detailed history of the Tristero. Does this understanding help to bring the mystery and her search closer to a conclusion? Is it satisfying for Oedipa to learn all of this? Why/Why not?
- As more obstacles arise (the burning down of the bookstore, Dribblet’s suicide, etc.), Oedipa begins to give up on her quest. Mike Fallopian suggests to her that this might all be a joke orchestrated by Pierce. What is the likelihood that Fallopian is right? If it were a joke, what would this mean for Oedipa?
- Why does the novel end as it does? What does this ending suggest about a possible theme or how we might (or might not) find meaning in the novel?