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The Crying Of Lot 49 Character Analysis

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Just like every person has their own journey through life, every character has their own quest on which they embark and learn from. In Thomas Pynchon’s The Crying of Lot 49, the main character, Oedipa, undertakes a quest of not only fulfilling her duties to her ex boyfriend, Pierce, but fulfilling something within herself as well. Pynchon’s application of the quest model in this book portrays Oedipa’s personal development through use of symbolism and metaphor, and also brings forth greater implications about the universal struggles of every being’s individual journey. The quest is often influenced by society. In The Crying of Lot 49, there are a lot of references to women’s empowerment such as character’s names being female-associated terms. …show more content…

Mysteries may remain mysteries indefinitely. The answer is not the answer. The point of the quest has never been the treasure at the ending; it has always been learning and self-discovery. Taking away the answer to the mystery that the readers have all anticipated brings forth the truth that the end result is not, and has never been the point of the journey. Humans think they have the answers, the ultimate truths, in their brains. They take bits of information and piece them together until it makes sense, and that is the Truth. However, there is no real truth. The existence and creation of the universe, the higher powers, the meaning of life, and the mere concept of existing in general are all things that people think they have the answers to because the unknown is what propels their fears, but there is no ultimate truth; only the truth that people decide is the truth. Every human lives their own truth. The answer to these mysteries is not the answer to life. The quest of how we came to our own conclusions about these mysteries is the point of the quest itself. The story may not feel resolved to the reader, but the quest served its full purpose to the character in self-discovery and lessons

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Most of the time, the questers go on the quest believing that the stated reason is their assignment, but “the real reason for a quest is always self-knowledge” (Foster 3). In addition, Foster provides an example from a published work, Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon in order to examine the five literary elements. The quester of the novel is a young woman named Oedipal Maas, who is not pleased in her marriage. The place she must go is Southern California, while the stated reason to go there is to fulfill her task given from her former lover. The challenges and trials she face during her quest may include the dangerous people she encounter.

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“The Odyssey,” written by Greek poet Homer is an epic tale depicting the brutally enduring quest home of the Greek hero, Odysseus. Within this heroic story, women play a very large and pivotal role in Odysseus’s trip home from the Trojan War. In his attempt to get back to his wife, Penelope, Odysseus’s progress is constantly hindered by the intervention of women who will do anything in order to either convince the heroic figure to stay with them or have him killed. The intentions of the women in the epic are all very different but one of the most prominent roles lies in the seductresses and the alluring women who will deeply influence Odysseus. Most importantly, Penelope plays a large role in portraying the importance of women’s roles in the story.

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“The Odyssey” is an Epic Poem which discusses the life story of Odysseus. The main focus of the poem is the journey of Odysseus and his way back home. Certain events distract him, most importantly; his encounter with the Gods, Goddesses. It takes Odysseus all of what it takes to head back home, including his bravery and intelligence. These qualities in Odysseus not only help himself but his men survive through the chaos of the journey called “The Odyssey”.

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In Homer’s Poem, The Odyssey, Penelope is the exceptionally patient and clever spouse of the infamous hero, Odysseus, and the mother of Telemachus. One poignant factor of Penelope’s character is her patience and devotion which is displayed throughout the poem. With her husband absent for a great majority of her life for the later of twenty years and his location unknown, Penelope stays, patiently awaiting Odysseus’ return, all whilst preserving their estate and raising her son by herself. Throughout this time, she had many persistent suitors in pursuit of her, abusing her husband’s absence.

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