July 18, 2003
The Conflicting Pressures of Selfishness and Altruism
A huge octopus emerges from the ocean, wraps an oversized tentacle around the waist of a young woman, and proceeds to drag her into the sea. That memorable episode from Thomas Pynchon's vast, surreal novel Gravity's Rainbow has a happy ending, however, because of the intervention of Mr. Tyrone Slothrop, who first unavailingly beats the creature over the head with an empty wine bottle. Then, in a stroke of zoologically informed genius, our hero offers the octopus something even more alluring
This content is only for subscribers. You can gain access by purchasing a:
Print Subscription
Digital Subscription
Already have an account? Log In Now.
-
The Chronicle Review
-
Government
-
Advice
