Pynchon describes her optimistic view as a "growing obsession". ... Pynchon creates understanding of the doctor's foolish idea with the analogy "that the unconscious would be like any other room, once the light was let in." To compare the unconscious mind to a room is a preposterous assumption. ... Each time Oedipa views one of the post horns it hurts her because she does not understand the meaning. ... Bringing the symbol to life and giving it the knowledge to strike at Oedipa's most sensitive areas shows the struggle she undertakes to understand them. ...

• Word Count: 3055
• Approx Pages: 12
• Grade Level: High School

This is very much the case with Oedipa as well. ... This certainly ties in to the events in the motel with Metzger. ... Thoth deals with real Indians and imaginary Indians. ... The most pristine image of this isolation comes early in chapter five, when Pynchon writes, "Oedipa sat, feeling as alone as she ever had, now the only woman, she saw, in a room full of drunken male homosexuals." ... The narrative is consistent, the plot moves along rapidly, and the point of view remains stable. ...

• Word Count: 2590
• Approx Pages: 10