Tiffany's Mega Essay

7/31/2019 Tiffany's Mega Essay

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The

1960s

Tiffany Shearer

English & History Essay

The 1960s

The Crying of Lot 49 &

AMega

Essay

By

Tiffany

Sheare

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settings, music, and context. In the book, there are many puns and ways that Pynchon manipulates

the words and names of the characters to portray a normal world. At the same time, it is difficult to

actually gather any meaning out of the plays on the language. Pynchon puts many little clues in his

books, yet does it in a way that does not actually amount to any substantial evidence in the book.

He makes it seem like his puns, and the way he plays with words, has a greater meaning to create a

sense of confusion. By doing this, he portrays how there is indeed a way to write without having a

deeper meaning.

Some of the main clues Oedipa comes across during her search for the Tristero System are

not always that helpful. These clues are the acronyms DEATH and WASTE. While merely

acronyms, they also spell words that intrigue the reader. Oedipa read, Dont Ever Antagonize The

Horn (Pynchon 98) that she saw scratched on the back of a seat on the bus. Pynchon writes like

this so that one will ponder if that is a coincidence or not. Oedipa finds that the word WASTE

stands for We Await Silent Tristeros Empire (Pynchon 139). Once again, Pynchon manages to

demonstrate that there can be multiple meanings to every word and that there is not always a

simple answer. In the beginning, the book states that Muchos radio station is called KCUF.

Oedipa Maas states, By the time he married her hed already been two years at the station, KCUF,

and the lot on the pallid, roaring arterial was far behind him, like the Second World or Korean

Wars were for older husbands (Pynchon 6). When the radio name is spelled backwards it is a

totally different word. For example, the word DOG spelled backwards is GOD, but that doesnt

mean there is any connection. Maybe DOG stands for other words, but it doesnt have too. The

word can be interpreted in various ways, and just because it is peculiar, doesnt mean it is wrong.

Who is to say that any of the words in any language really mean what they mean? Everyone could

interpret what they mean a smidge differently and that is what Pynchon wants to point out.

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There are many characters that have odd names in this book. One example is Dr. Hilarious.

Dr. Hilarious is a crazy psychologist who tries to get Oedipa to take medicine, but she doesnt trust

him. Pynchon does this also for a reason. Not only does he show that Oedipa goes to a doctor who

she doesnt trust, which makes no sense, but his name also doesnt match who he is. Pynchon did

this because since the character is so loony, it makes for funny reading; hence the word hilarious

in his name. Dr. Hilarious called Oedipa in the middle of the night trying to persuade her to join

this study at a hospital he is working at. The study involves her taking LSD. Oedipa responds

saying, I am having a hallucination now, I dont need drugs for that (Pynchon 8). Then Dr.

Hilarious proceeds to ask her what she wanted to talk about, making it sound as if she called him,which obviously wasnt the case. Out of disgust, she hung up on the doctor. She didnt fully

believe he was crazy, though, until later in the book when Dr. Hilarious goes absolutely insane and

locks himself in a room with a gun and then takes Oedipa into the room as a hostage. He believed

there were people after him trying to kill him and he thought everyone was against him. Oedipas

husband, Wendell, is also called Mucho, which is also an odd name. Oedipa never specifies why

she calls him Mucho, but it seems like there should be a meaning. In Spanish Mucho means a lot.

Maybe Pynchon did this to be funny. Mucho is not very productive around the house and is always

interested in some other job, so the name Mucho could be making fun of the character for not

amounting to a lot. Then again, Pynchon doesnt have strict meaning during any of the book. This

could be his reasoning behind it, or maybe he just liked the name. There are never any straight

answers and Pynchon does that on purpose. He wants to write a book that is thought provoking.

There is also a lot of non-verbal communication in this book. Most of the book is about

body language and how people react in various situations. In the beginning, Oedipa seems to be

caught up with what everyone is saying, but she soon catches on to the fact that the way they react

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to questions and the way they act around her can provide her with more information than what they

are verbally telling her. Many of the men Oedipa talks to during her search of the Tristero System

seem very skeptical of her. They seem to look down upon her. For example, when Oedipa goes and

asks the director of the play about the word Trystero and what it meant, he just says, You, that

part of you so concerned, God knows how, with that little word, would also vanish (Pynchon 62).

He gives Oedipa absolutely no credit and he doesnt even acknowledge her while she is talking to

him, showing with his body language that is he obviously not interested in what she has to say.

Richwell even states,

The Tristero System itself, the focus of the novel, is virtually equated with

nonverbal, extra-rational communication. The odd presence in the test itself of

the graphic symbol of the muted post horn immediately identifies the Tristero as a

virtual rather than linguistic communication system (Richwell Para. 1-2).

The symbol shows that communication is being done in a way that has nothing to do with

speaking. Richwell also says,

The emphasis of Hilarius and Driblette on communication as a body language

becomes directly linked to the Tristero System. The Latin root of the word miracle,

to which the Tristero System is associated throughout the text, means to simile

(OED). Thus, the memorable and enigmatic smile of the Tristero riders becomes

emblematic in the novel of body language (Richwell Para. 5).

This shows how Pynchon likes to play with communication to get ideas across to different people.

Pynchon makes it seem like the music has some sort of meaning, but it doesnt. Matthew

Eklund says, Music in The Crying of Lot 49 is always in some way artificial, with the effect that

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real music-natural sounds produced by true musicians- has been replaced by musical signifiers that

exist outside the original music that they signify (Eklund Para. 1). For example Miles Song,

which doesnt have a specific title, is very peculiar and really doesnt have any reason for being in

the book other than to be humorous. One line in the song is, Too Fat to Frug (Pynchon 16).

There is no meaning to the word Frug. Pynchon adds the song not because it makes sense with

what is going on currently in the book, but because it doesnt make sense and this adds humor.

Eklund also states, The fact is that nobody can tell what band the Paranoids stand for, only that

they and their music are an image (Eklund Para. 2). This just goes to show that they are only a

band for the image, not necessarily to mean anything. In another part of the book Miles and Oedipaare having a conversation and Miles says, You hate me too (Pynchon 17). Then Oedipa replies,

You are a paranoid (Pynchon 17). In this case, Pynchon shows how this time there is a

connection because Miles is paranoid and he is in a band called the Paranoids. By doing this he

adds more confusion because by having one aspect of the book actually connect, he gives the

illusion that maybe just maybe the whole book may connect in some way or another.

At the end of the novel, Oedipa realizes that she has absolutely no idea if there is a Tristero

System, but she does learn more about herself throughout the adventure. This seems to be another

motive from the author. Oedipa even says, In the songs Miles, Dean Serge, and Leonard sang was

either some fraction of the truths numinous beauty (as Mucho now believed) or only a power

spectrum (Pynchon 150). She also says, Behind the hieroglyphic streets there would either be a

transcendent meaning, or only the earth (Pynchon 150). These two quotes are where Oedipa starts

to really understand that there is not always a reason for all that is done. She realizes that there is a

possibility that the Tristero System is real and there is a possibility that it isnt. Pynchon wants to

show people that not all aspects of a book or even life itself have to fit together in this giant puzzle.

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He wants to show that life is a bunch of random puzzles mixed together: some pieces may fit, and

some may not. There are even times when some pieces can fit in multiple places.

The settings in The Crying of Lot 49 really showcase Pynchons writing style. For

example, there is a point in the book when Oedipa, Metzger, and the Paranoids get stuck on an

island because Di Presso leaves with the boat. The water was too cold to swim to shore, and there

were no trees on the island to make a raft. They were stuck in the middle of a lake with nothing but

the clothes on their back and a cooler full of iced tequila. There was no real point to having the

characters end up stuck on an island, but Pynchon did this to show that life is random and not all

aspects of life happen for a reason. At one point, Oedipa goes backstage after seeing The Couriers

Tragedy to ask the director about the meaning of the show. He says,

You could fall in love with me, you can talk to my shrink, you can hide a tape

recorder in my bedroom, see what talk about from whatever I am when I sleep. You

want to do that? You can put together clues, develop a thesis, or several, about why

characters reacted to the Trystero System possibility the way they did, why the

assassins came on, why the black costumes. You could waste your life that way and

never touch the truth. Wharfinger supplied words and yarn. I gave them life. Thats

it (Pynchon 63).

This is just another point in the book where Pynchon is showing that not every ordeal or decision

made has a reason behind it. The director obviously didnt really have any meaning to why hechanged a few of the verses, but the verses were changed, and Oedipa wanted some sort of

reasoning behind it. The director said there was none, but Pynchon wanted to show that there could

be many. In reality the changes the director made could have meant nothing to him, but would lead

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people to think of all sorts of possibilities instead of the changes meaning nothing. There is also a

place in the book that is said to be in California called San Narciso. The name of the city appears to

have a connection with the residence of the city itself. Narciso seems to be a word derived from

narcissistic. There seems to be a connection because a lot of the people in this city are very

caught up in their own ideas and our egotistical. That idea could just be a coincidence and was not

supposed to be interpreted that way. It could also mean many other qualities. Or it could mean

absolutely nothing. This is just another way Pynchon writes to purposefully conjure up thoughts of

uncertainty.

In summary, Pynchon states that communication is not always a helpful tool and how there

isnt always a meaning to life. Pynchon does this through his cryptic use of acronyms, odd names,

settings, music, and context. He demonstrates the importance of body language through his writing

style. The most important message that he is portraying in his book is that life does not always

have a meaning. Life can be crazy, and humans do not always do what seems most logical. People

can be random, and by writing a book that is very random and interpreted in many ways, he

accomplishes his goal.

Andre Gide once said, Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose

sight of the shore (qtd. in Fernandez-Armesto 261). People in the sixties were finally thinking out

of the box; they were finally straying from the comfort of the shore. They knew that the journey

would not be easy, but it would be worthwhile. The 1960s was a time of change and even more

importantly than that, a time of rebellion. People were trying to create peace for all, but before that

could be achieved, rebellion had to occur. There were many that did not want the chaos that went

along with change, but that was the only way to get the country to a place where it could be unified

enough for progression. The 60s led to large changes in music, art, and fashion. The Civil Rights

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movement, the Womans Rights Movement, and the Vietnam War were all very controversial

during this time as well. The 60s were a time where people were straying from the traditional times

of the 50s and redefining themselves as individuals who deserve to have their individual rights.

The 50s were over, therefore, change was inevitable. John F. Kennedy said, We would like to live

as we once lived, but history will not permit it (qtd. in Mills 133). Once a boat travels far enough

from the shore its hard if not impossible to go back the way originally traveled.

Music in the 60s was all about rock and roll. The birth of Rock and Roll was because of the

increasing drug scene. With all of the problems and changes going on at that time, many turned to

drugs because it made them forget. (Clare 124). There were many concerts and the music scene

began to grow even larger. In 1969, Woodstock was held. It was a three day music festival which

incorporated many bands. Many hippies came because of the nonstop music, but drugs and alcohol

were also very popular there. Many of the people that went were Hippies who were against all

the war and fighting. They just wanted peace, love, and happiness (Goodwin, Bradley Para. 2).

Many of them showed their rebellion through their choice of music. Many adults looked down on

these bands because they were thought to be bad influences. Many were scared of a change in the

society. One very popular song in the 60s was The Ballad of the Green Berets. This was a song all

about the Vietnam War and a special group of soldiers called the Green Beret who went off to war.

This is one of the only songs that talked about the Vietnam War in a positive way. Many other

songs were all about peace, like the Beatles very popular song Come Together, which is all about

creating peace in the world. In the 60s music meant more than just having a good song to listen and

dance to, it told a story that portrayed the times of the 60s whether it be good or bad. Bob Marley

once said, When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace

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(qtd. in Powe-Temperly 6). This was exactly what the music of the 60s was trying to get across.

Peace was not going to come without a fight.

Art in the 60s had a more modern flair. Artists wanted to get away from the detailed

traditional artwork of the 50s and create more abstract pieces (Clare 108). They wanted people to

escape into their art and explore a meaning on their own and actually having to interpret the work

of art. This was a large change because normally there was only one meaning to art, but now there

could be an unlimited number of meanings. Andy Warhol was very popular in the Visual Art

Movement or Pop Art. He is most largely known for his silk screen paintings of the Campbells

soup can and Marilyn Monroe (Patton Para. 8). He was controversial not only because of the

simplicity of his work, but also because he was openly gay. He demonstrated that individuality was

something to strive for, not something to shy away from (Powe-Temperley).

During the 50s there were many women who wanted equal rights, but once the 60s

emerged, woman started speaking their mind about the discrimination they were facing. In the 60s

the Womans Rights movement blossomed. Women were adamant on getting their rights. In fact

women started to gain some support in the Government because, as Robert Higgs stated, The

Equal Pay Act in 1963, ostensibly guaranteed woman equal pay for equal work (Higgs 12). Style

was an example of rebellion woman showed to prove they had rights. Women were tired of having

to be so conservative. Many started wearing miniskirts, go-go boots, and unisex dressing also

became very popular (Powe-Temperley). Women wanted to show that they could dress the same

way as men and vice versa. Twiggy became very popular as one of the first supermodels. Although

she was from Britain she inspired the fashion scene in the western world. She inspired many

women to get their hair cut short and she was known for wearing starch-pointed collars with

dresses to show women can be both feminine and masculine. She was also known for wearing

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baggy trousers with pin stripes. In 1966 many said, Twiggy's slim figure and short, boyish hair

represented youthfulness and the new-found Sixties freedom (Powe-Temperley). Twiggy

redefined the way women were expected to dress.

The Civil Rights Movement was at its peak during the 60s. The African Americans were

fighting for rights that they were being denied. In 1966 the Jim Crow law was said to be

unconstitutional, but just because it is said to be unconstitutional doesnt mean that people went

along with this ruling (Duran Para 4). In fact, people that were for the Civil Rights Movement

wanted other Americans to stop discriminating; they wanted to make it appear as though they

were worthy of having the same rights as everyone else. In his book Peter Levy stated, Most of

the rigged quiz shows, for example were rigged deliberately to let numerous colored contestants

win, the idea being to convince the American people that Negros were extremely intelligent and

cultured (Levy 26). One movie that stood out during the 60s was Guess Who's Coming to Dinner,

which came out in 1967. This movie is about a white girl who brings her boyfriend to dinner with

her family. What she doesnt tell her parents is that her boyfriend is African American. At this

time, racism is a huge issue. Even though everyone is said to have equal rights, they dont. This

movie got a lot of people thinking about the racism that was still going on. On the other hand, there

were many people that did not like the message the movie was sending.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was an influential leader during the Civil Rights Movement. He

started his crusade in the 50s but, really established a larger following in the 60s when people

became less obsessed with the appearance that all was ok (Clare 114). Michael Kaufman said, He

was their voice of anguish, their eloquence in humiliation, their battle cry for human dignity. He

forged for them the weapons of nonviolence that withstood and blunted the ferocity of

segregation (Kaufman 38). He also added, Over the years, Kings house had been bombed, shots

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had been fired at his door, and he was jailed, ridiculed, stabbed and punched (Kaufman 34-36).

He led protests and even went to jail for his beliefs. Martin Luther King said, The ultimate

measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he

stands at times of challenge and controversy (Kaufman 41). He portrayed this belief in all that he

did. He wanted everyone to see that if one does not stand up for what he believes, then, they will

never achieve what they want. In 1963, Martian Luther King Jr. gave his famous I have a

Dream speech at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., and in the same year he even led the

March on Washington. This was one of the largest political gatherings in the United States History.

Kaufman stated from person experience, I attended the mammoth March on Washington on April28, 1963. Arriving at dawn, we had watched as the city filled up. Cars and buses with southern

license plates dropped off groups of black people, most of them wearing their Sunday best

(Kaufman 36). This March was to gain rights for African Americans. They wanted jobs, but even

more than that, the freedom to have the same rights as everyone else. In 1964 he even won the

Nobel Peace Prize for his actions in the Civil Rights Movement. Even up to the day he was

assassinated on April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King believed, We must learn to live together as

brothers or perish together as fools (Kaufman 40). He stood for this not only in his beliefs about

the Civil Rights Movement, but also with foreign affairs for he was the first political figure to

speak out against the Vietnam War.

People began showing rebellion in not only culture, but in government acts. After the

Korean War of the 50s, America was still fighting Communism, which led to the, largely

controversial, Vietnam War in the 1960s. The Vietnam War started in 1965. Some people were so

against the war and the government that they rebelled and fled the country so that they wouldnt

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have to be a part of the war, but on the other hand, some people, especially political leaders,

thought the war was in Americas best interest. Michael Lind said,

Nevertheless, the administration believed that something had to be done. If the

United States allowed itself to be humiliated by the communist-nationalist regime,

then its military credibility would be seriously undermined. The regional alliance

that the United States led might dissolve as the area's countries lost faith in

American protection. Across the world, both enemies and allies might interpret

American retreat as a sign of military incapacity or lack of political resolve. The

reputation of the United States for power and determination, the basis of its rank in

the regional and global hierarchy, was at stake (Lind 2).

During the 60s there were five horrible years of fighting and arguing about the war. People started

to no longer care about the war. In fact many people totally forgot about it on a regular day basis.

Bernard Edelman said, The Vietnam War cost 58,000 American lives and wounded 300,000

more (Edelman 19). This war went well into the 70s before it ended, but it definitely played a role

in the mood of the people who lived during the 60s. In fact, he stated, They marched home to

furled flags and silent drums (Edelman 23). This goes to show the lack of sympathy Americans

had and showed how little they cared about the war.

Lastly, the 60s proved to be a time where change and rebellion occurred in more ways than

one. The 60s was not a time of hidden problems, like the 50s. In the 60s, many of the changes andproblems the nation faced during the happy days of the 50s were beginning to surface. People no

longer wanted to act like all was ok. They wanted to show that they could make a difference and

succeed in retrieving the individual rights they deserve. John F. Kennedy stated, We stand today

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on the edge of a new frontier -- the frontier of the 1960s, a frontier of unknown opportunities and

perils, a frontier of unfulfilled hopes and threats. The new frontier of which I speak is not a set of

promises -- it is a set of challenges (qtd. in Mills 11). And challenges there most certainly were.

One small boat in an endless ocean facing a horrid storm does not have much of a chance, but

through music, art, the Civil Rights Movement, fashion, the Womans Rights Movement, and the

Vietnam War, the rebellion and change made a true difference that can be seen today through the

freedom that all have an equal chance at receiving.

When thinking about The Crying of Lot 49 and the sixties one word comes to mind: Crazy.

During the sixties life was messy. It was as if a tornado struck the decade. Many people wanted

change, but there were some people who were stuck in their ways. These people mixed about as

well as water and oil. At a glance, the book and the decade did not appear to have much in

common, but its not the event that occurred that are similar, its the thoughts and the ways they

carry out these thoughts. Normal was no longer what one would call the norm; crazy was the new

norm for the sixties. In writing The Crying of Lot 49, Pynchon related the book to the time whether

it was planned or not. Writing a book during any decade automatically leads to connections

whether they are clearly visible or not, because without living during the decade, the author would

not be the same person and have the same experiences, therefore the book would not be exactly the

same.

Pynchons The Crying of lot 49, is a book meant to provoke thought. It is a book where the

plot, characters, and the story in general do not make much sense. The book was written in a very

nontraditional way and just like the sixties, it was crazy. This is a book that could have only been

written because of the cultural changes in the sixties and all the rebellion that took place. Pynchon

has always been quite rebellious. In fact, there are very few pictures of him because he does not

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like to be seen in public. He will not let the Government or anyone else be in control of him.

During the sixties many people were going through a similar stage. Many Americans during the

sixties were finally vocalizing their distraught at the lack of individual rights that they were

receiving. In the book, there is no order, but Pynchon does this to show that one can break away

from conformity and still end up achieving all that they planned and maybe even more.

In the sixties people were going against the Government. Many lost trust in the

Government because of the conspiracy theories that were being brought up. In the book, there is a

search for answers about an underground mail system. Although the answer is never revealed,

leaving the reader to question all that went through their mind during the entire book, the

underground mail system is directly going against the government. This within itself was a

conspiracy theory. People did not trust the Government; therefore there was an immense amount of

protesting and refusal to follow laws that were considered by some to be unjust.

During the sixties people were shying away of the idea of the Happy Family. This is

portrayed in the book in more than one way. First, Oedipa doesnt have children and is a middle

aged woman. Second she cheated on her husband with another man but does not feel guilty about it

because she feels they are even now because of all the times he has cheated on her. This fact does

not seem to bother her in the slightest. Also, the band the Paranoids are always hanging around the

hotel and never seem to be home with their families. Their family appears to be the band itself

which is a new idea for that time period. Not only were the families broken up, they were also very

open about their family problems where in the fifties that would have been covered up.

Believe it or not, the acronyms in the book also have a connection to the sixties. There

were many acronyms in the book. In the end, they are still a mystery. They seem like they could

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Annotated Bibliography

Clare, John D. Growing up in the People's Century. London: BBC, 1996. Print.

This book wasnt just as about the sixties, but it was about the 1900s in general. There was

a section about the 60s though and that is what I used. The book talked about the different

cultural aspects of the sixties. The book even went into how the Vietnam war affected the

peoples everyday lives, and how it played a role in the changing culture. This book also

had a section on the fifties which was useful because part of my paper was showing how

the sixties were such a dramatic change from the fifties.

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Duran, Jane. "Black/White Radical Alliances In The 1960S." Monthly Review: An Independent

Socialist Magazine 63.5 (2011): 56. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 17 Apr. 2012.

I found this review from a magazine on the internet. It was helpful because it went into

detail about the Civil Rights Movement. It went into detail about Martin Luther King Jr.

and his life. The Internet magazine talked about how the Civil Rights Movement affected

not just the African Americans, but played a large role in the lives of everyone in the

1960s. The only problem with this magazine is that I had to be careful what I used from it

because although it had a lot of good facts, it was also rather opinionated.

Goodwin, Susan and Becky Bradley . "1960-1969." American Cultural History. Lone Star College-

Kingwood Library, 1999. Web. 7 Feb. 2011.\

This was an internet source, but it was very reliable because it was established by a college.

The website was all about the cultural aspects of the 1960s. The website was very

organized and was easy to source. It even provided contact information from the people

who wrote it in case you were to have any further questions. This website provided me

with information about music, art, and fashion. It even showed how these cultural aspects

changed from the 50s to the 60s, which was exactly what I needed to support my thesis.

Edelman, Bernard. Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam. New York: Norton, 1985. Print.

This book has letters that were sent back and forth between Vietnam soldiers and their

loved ones. This book was helpful because it enabled you to get into the minds of the

soldiers in Vietnam and what all they went through. This book even went into detail about

how the soldiers were treated when they arrived home. Although this book did not provide

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instant facts, it was a great resource to actually understand the Vietnam War opposed to

just knowing the history behind it.

Eklund, Matthew. "Pynchon's THE CRYING OF LOT 49." Explicator 59.4 (2001): 216.

MasterFILE Premier. Web. 28 Mar. 2012.

I found this article on the database at school and it was very helpful in writing the literary

section of this essay. Although the article was not very long, it gave great insights to how

much the book actually has to do with music. It even describes whether the music was

meant to have an actual meaning in the book or if it was merely there for humor and

confusion. This wasnt an article that gave you straight forward answers, it made you think.

This helped me think more about the meaning of the book which helped me create a more

in-depth paper.

Fernandez-Armesto, Felipe. Ideas That Changed the World. New York, NY: Dorling Kindersley,

2003. Print.

This book was not all that useful to me. It had a lot of interesting insights but the majority

of the book wasnt about the 60s. I did find one quote in it though and although it wasnt

from the 60s but it went well with what I was talking about in my essay. Although this

source was not that useful to me, it was still a very good source and had a lot of

information about history and the different philosophers and ideas that impacted America.

Higgs, Robert. Government and the Economy Since World War II.Independent Institute

Working paper. Paper. 58 (2005) 1-35.

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This article was all about The government and economy in postwar America. The whole

article was not about the 60s, but a portion of it was and this portion was useful. The

information in this article was helpful but most of my paper wasnt about the government

or economy so I was only able to use on quote from this source. That is not to say that it

isnt still a very good source, it just wasnt about what I was researching.

Kaufman, Michael T. 1968. New York: Roaring Brook, 2009. Print.

This book was all about the year 1968. Although it is only a year in the 60s, a lot happened

during this time period. The book goes into great detail about many aspects, but I mainly

used this book for the background it had in the Civil Rights Movement. I was able to find

a lot of information about Martin Luther King Jr. I found out not only what he did and how

he suffered because of it but I also found out about how his followers felt about him. This

helped me n writing my essay because the gratitude these people felt for him was

remarkable.

Levy, Peter B.America in the Sixties--right, Left, and Center: A Documentary History. Westport,

CT: Praeger, 1998. Print.

This book was all about the political aspect of the 60s. Although I only used one quote

from the book for my essay, it was still a very good source and gave me good insights. This

book was mainly a book of facts but anytime there is a book about politics there will be

some sort of opinions. This book had a lot of opinions but all of the opinions were backed

up with solid information which made you think about what they are trying to say in

greater detail.

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Lind, Michael. Vietnam: The Necessary War: A Reinterpretation of America's Most Disastrous

Military Conflict . New York City: Free Press, 2002.

This book was very useful. So many of the books I read stated how horrible the War in

Vietnam was, but this book showed the other view of the war. It showed the view that

while, many people may not have thought it was a good war; they thought it was certainly

necessary. This book was written in a way that portrayed very information while making

you think at the same time. Even if you do not agree with the statement in the title, dont

have that be the reason you do not open the book, because although it shows the one side it

does help one gather their own opinion on the matter.

Mills, Judie. John F. Kennedy. New York: F. Watts, 1988. Print.

This book was all about the life of John F. Kennedy. It didnt just talk about his presidency,

but it also talked about his everyday life. The book helped me better understand Kennedy.

This book also provided me with many famous quotes of Kennedys that I found

interesting and very useful in writing my essay.

Patton, Charlie. "MOCA's new exhibit intended to educate us on the art of the '60s." Florida

Times-Union, The (Jacksonville, FL) 28 Jan. 2012: Newspaper Source. Web. 15 Apr.

2012.

This article is all about a new Museum of Contemporary Art that is opening up. Although

this aspect isnt too relevant to my paper, it talked a lot about some of the art work will be

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there. There is going to be section there which is completely dedicated to the art of the

sixties. The article talked a lot about the Visual Arts movement and Andy Warhol. I was

able to use this information in my paper. Although it helped me a little it didnt have

extensive information on art in the 60s so it wasnt all that helpful in that sense.

Powe-Temperley, Kitty. 20th Century Fashion: The 60s ; Mods and Hippies. Milwaukee, WI:

Gareth Stevens Pub., 2000. Print.

This book was very helpful because it talked about all the aspects of fashion in the 60s. It

talked about all the different fashion icons in the 60s and it talked about all the different

styles. This book also talks about the Womans Rights Movement and how fashion played

a large role in showing the population that Woman should be allowed to have the same

rights as men. The book was organized in sections so it was very easy to read and to get the

exact information that I needed.

Pynchon, Thomas. The Crying of Lot 49. New York: Harper. 1966

The Crying of lot 49 was all about going against the normal writing style. Through his

dysfunctional story, Pynchon shows that not all aspects of a book have to make sense and

there doesnt always have to be a purpose. He shows that people are always trying to make

connections in their everyday life, while in reality not every aspect of life is related; in fact

a lot of what happens in life doesnt always connect. Through this, he shows that

communication can be shown in multiple ways. Communication isnt always just written or

spoken; it can be seen through the reactions of others as well. Pynchons story is all about

Oedipa and how she is searching for this underground mail system, but the reader never

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finds out if it is real or just a pigment of Oedipas imagination. This further supports

Pynchons ideal that not all is what it seems. He makes one question a lot about life.

Richwell, Adrian Emily. "Pynchon's THE CRYING OF LOT 49." Explicator 47.1 (1988): 50.

MasterFILE Premier. Web. 28 Mar. 2012.

I got this article from the database in the library. This was how I got the thesis for the

literary section of my essay. This article was all about how communication plays such a

large role in The Crying of Lot 49. There are so many different forms of communication in

this book and the article explains them all. There are some pretty unusual ideas in this

articled but they all made you think. This made me ponder even more about the book and

how it can be interpreted in so many different ways.

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