Much like the myth of Narcissus and Echo, Oedipa is cast into a role that limits her to womanly tasks, which serves as a way to shed light on the gender roles in American culture. In the beginning of the novel Oedipa is depicted as the perfect housewife, “the layering of the lasagna, garlicking of a bread, tearing up of romaine leaves … the mixing of the twilight’s whisky sours against the arrival of her husband, Wendell (“Mucho”) Maas from work (Pynchon 2).” These actions are largely gendered and reflect American culture in the 1960s where women are expected to take care of the home. The gendered space and activities suggest an almost eradicating of personhood, that this could be any woman doing the exact same thing. This idea of women belonging