The First Clue Of The Mystery.

Today in class we discussed chapter 3. I was relived because I was in desperate need of explanation. In order to do so, we chose any sentence from the novel. “You are paranoid” (page 17). From reading the novel, we know the paranoids are a band Miles is in. First, we get the feeling of a double meaning here, the actual band name and Oedipa saying he really is paranoid person.

Why paranoia? This had to mean something. Could it be that maybe Oedipa herself is paranoiac? There are no reasons to think that, she seems like a normal person. I’ll tell you, if you keep reading this can change. Paranoia is a slowly progressive personality disorder marked by delusions, especially of persecution and grandeur (dictionary.com). One that Oedipa may start to develop. Her character or personality won’t change but everything around will start to mean something. The first clue that Pynchon gives us about this is “a loop, triangle, and a trapezoid”(38) the thing that she sees while going to the bathroom. There is no actual meaning or purpose for this yet, it may become more important later on.

If we think about the Da Vinci Code, the same happens. Ever since the professor meets the dead guys niece he starts believing more about the clues, bad things start to happen to him. He becomes paranoiac. All of sudden everything means something. Pynchon may be giving clues like this to start the solving of the mystery, that we the reader and Oedipa at the same time are discovering.