Course Hero Logo

The Crying of Lot 49 | Study Guide

Thomas Pynchon

Download a PDF to print or study offline.

Study Guide
Cite This Study Guide

How to Cite This Study Guide

quotation mark graphic
MLA

Bibliography

Course Hero. "The Crying of Lot 49 Study Guide." Course Hero. 16 Mar. 2018. Web. 5 June 2023. <https://www.coursehero.com/lit/The-Crying-of-Lot-49/>.

In text

(Course Hero)

APA

Bibliography

Course Hero. (2018, March 16). The Crying of Lot 49 Study Guide. In Course Hero. Retrieved June 5, 2023, from https://www.coursehero.com/lit/The-Crying-of-Lot-49/

In text

(Course Hero, 2018)

Chicago

Bibliography

Course Hero. "The Crying of Lot 49 Study Guide." March 16, 2018. Accessed June 5, 2023. https://www.coursehero.com/lit/The-Crying-of-Lot-49/.

Footnote

Course Hero, "The Crying of Lot 49 Study Guide," March 16, 2018, accessed June 5, 2023, https://www.coursehero.com/lit/The-Crying-of-Lot-49/.

The Crying of Lot 49 | Infographic

Share
Share Embed
Click to copy code

Check out this Infographic to learn more about Thomas Pynchon's The Crying of Lot 49. Study visually with character maps, plot summaries, helpful context, and more.

Narrator, Chapter 4 verything she saw, smelled, dreamed,remembered, would somehow cometo be woven into The Tristero. Sources: Bloom’s Modern Critical Views: Thomas Pynchon edited byHarold Bloom, Encyclopaedia Britannica, World Heritage Encyclopedia Copyright © 2018 Course Hero, Inc. Muted Post Horn Symbolizes Tristero’s aim to disrupt official communication Darkness Represents the revelation and secrecy of Tristero Mirrors Symbolize Oedipa slowly losing her sense of self Symbols Main Characters Psychiatrist doing recreational drug studies; goes mad with guilt over his Nazi past Dr. Hilarius Former child actor known as Baby Igor; Oedipa’s coexecutor and affair partner Metzger Radio disc jockey and former used-car salesman; sensitive and delusional Wendell “Mucho” Maas Suburban housewife; resourceful and determined to follow leads wherever they go Oedipa Maas Pynchon is known for his absurdist postmodern style. His work is peppered with real and invented historical details. Throughout his articles and novels—which include Gravity’s Rainbowand V.—Pynchon includes references to movies, literature, politics, and more to analyze and satirize modern popular culture. THOMAS PYNCHONBORN 1937 Author Driven desperate by paranoia, Oedipa feels alienated from her life. Facing Down the Void Oedipa finds shady characters and intrigue everywhere she looks. Tristero Appears Stifled by her monotonous days, Oedipa seeks meaning and purpose. Setting Out on a Mission After being named as an executor of her ex-boyfriend’s will, suburban housewife Oedipa Maas is plunged into Southern California’s shadowy underground. But is Tristero, the centuries-long conspiracy against the postal service, real or imaginary? Is it all a hoax, or is she crazy? Adventuresin Paranoia OVERVIEW English Original Language 1965 Year Published Thomas Pynchon Author Satire Novel The Cryingof Lot 49

Want to see more infographics? View All Infographics on Course Hero!

Cite This Study Guide

information icon Have study documents to share about The Crying of Lot 49? Upload them to earn free Course Hero access!