Conspiracy of One -- The Crying of Lot 49

The third chapter of the Crying of Lot 49 begins by foreshadowing events to come. “If one object behind her discovery of what she was to label the Tristero System or often only the Tristero… (pg 31)” This left me wondering, a big curiosity as to what it could be. Perhaps Pynchon intended this to give the reader as much curiosity as Oedipa had on the Tristero. Pynchon is trying to lead us exactly to where he wants. Then he starts showing us small hints of something new happening, “Report all obscene mail to your potsmaster (pg 33).” First the foreshadow and then the small typo which is later noticed by Oedipa makes the reader really begin to seek the connection of the events. Is this purposely done by Pynchon? As many other things in the book I believe so.
Oedipa and Metzger go to a nightclub called The Scope and there they meet Mike Fallopian, a right-wing extremist. His society is very radical in its belief of free enterprise and capitalism to such an extent that they use an underground mail system because the U.S Postal Service had monopolized the mail. Could Pynchon mock the right-wingers by making them take a stand on such a silly matter as the post? Is this a bigger symbol for the defiance of authority in the world? Perhaps it’s both. As a satire, the novel can simply be making fun of right wings. Even the name of the extremist is funny, Fallopian? However, with the whole context of Tristero and Potsmaster, joined by the strange feelings Oedipa has, the reader would be guided to believe there’s more to practically everything to this book. What it really is seems easily debatable either way.
Later on in the chapter, Oedipa goes to Fangoso Lagoons and meets a lawyer who is suing Inverarity for not paying some bones his client sold to the corporation and were used to make charcoal or for scuba diving decorations. The bones were originally the corpses of WWII American soldiers who died in a battle in Italy. This reminded one of Oedipa’s companions, a member of The Paranoids, about a play called The Courier’s Tragedy which related a similar story. People are also killed by a lake and are thrown in, making a connection with Inverarity’s bones. They also mention Trystero, “No Hallowed skein of stars can ward, I trow, / Who’s once been set his tryst with Trystero (pg 58).” Here Oedipa “clicks” and feels a strange attraction to the word. After the play, she goes backstage to talk with the director and ask about the bones in the lake, but she ends up talking about Trystero. The director, Randolph Driblette, tells Oedipa she is thinking too much about the words and he simply wrote a play to entertain, there’s no meaning to it.
These events are very interesting, Pynchon guides the reader through the events in a way that makes us feel there is something strange in them, something worth noting. Even the name of the Lagoons, Fangoso, tries to tell the reader there is something “muddy” going on. Here there is some satire regarding suits and the law. Manny di Presso is suing Inverarity for not paying for some bones, but the origin of the bones is in fact, illegal. Distrurbing resting places of the dead, especially soldiers killed in combat would not be looked upon well in court, still the lawsuit is happening. Could Pynchon be mocking the absurdities that Americans use to sue other people? I remember once hearing about a thief who sued the owners of a house he broke into because he hurt himself while entering! When Driblette tells Oedipa she is analyzing too much, I saw that comment addressed at the reader too. Pynchon has led us to a state of wonder where everything has meaning and now, when he says Oedipa analyses too much he is telling the reader he is looking in vain for meaning. “Hey I am just making fun of society….including you” is what Pynchon might be telling us.