Note
Includes bibliography.
Member of
Contributors
Publisher
Florida Atlantic University
Date Issued
2014
EDTF Date Created
2014
Description
Set at the end of the 1960s in Southern California, Thomas Pynchon's novel Inherent Vice (2009)
is a nostalgic and parodic take on the hard-boiled crime genre. With a nebulously defined search for an
erstwhile lover and intimations of foul play from global corporations, its conventional plot construction has
led most critics to view the frequency with which its private eye protagonist, Doc Sportello, consumes and
distributes cannabis while detecting as a hyperbolic motif designed to accentuate the ostentation of the
book’s stylistic parody. This thesis argues that Inherent Vice uses cannabis as a symbolic embodiment of a
way of thinking about exchange that effectively circumvents the problems Pynchon perceives to be posed
by capitalism. Inherent Vice represents a stylistic departure for Pynchon in that, by advocating the repeated
institution of small-scale economies of gift exchange, it offers a specific proscriptive ethical guideline for
readers wishing to resist capitalism.
is a nostalgic and parodic take on the hard-boiled crime genre. With a nebulously defined search for an
erstwhile lover and intimations of foul play from global corporations, its conventional plot construction has
led most critics to view the frequency with which its private eye protagonist, Doc Sportello, consumes and
distributes cannabis while detecting as a hyperbolic motif designed to accentuate the ostentation of the
book’s stylistic parody. This thesis argues that Inherent Vice uses cannabis as a symbolic embodiment of a
way of thinking about exchange that effectively circumvents the problems Pynchon perceives to be posed
by capitalism. Inherent Vice represents a stylistic departure for Pynchon in that, by advocating the repeated
institution of small-scale economies of gift exchange, it offers a specific proscriptive ethical guideline for
readers wishing to resist capitalism.
Language
Type
Genre
Form
Extent
50 p.
Identifier
FA00003621
Rights
Copyright © is held by the author, with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Additional Information
Includes bibliography.
Thesis (B.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, 2014.
Date Backup
2014
Date Created Backup
2014
Date Text
2014
Date Created (EDTF)
2014
Date Issued (EDTF)
2014
Extension
FAU
FAU
IID
FA00003621
Organizations
Attributed name: Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
Person Preferred Name
Olsen, Philip Edmond
Physical Description
born digital
50 p.
Title Plain
"THE FAITHLESS, MONEY-DRIVEN WORLD": COMMUNICATION AND EXCHANGE IN THOMAS PYNCHON’S INHERENT VICE
Use and Reproduction
Copyright © is held by the author, with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Digital Origin
born digital
Origin Information
2014
2014
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida
Physical Location
Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Place
Boca Raton, Florida
Sub Location
Digital Library
Title
"THE FAITHLESS, MONEY-DRIVEN WORLD": COMMUNICATION AND EXCHANGE IN THOMAS PYNCHON’S INHERENT VICE
Other Title Info
"THE FAITHLESS, MONEY-DRIVEN WORLD": COMMUNICATION AND EXCHANGE IN THOMAS PYNCHON’S INHERENT VICE