Oedipa's first name, obviously, derives from Oedipus, the hero of Sophocles' famous play. ... When he reaches the next kingdom, he learns that the king has mysteriously died, and Oedipus himself becomes king, marrying the former king's wife, who of course is his mother. When Oedipus finds out what he has done, he blinds himself and becomes a wandering beggar. ... She has other ties to Oedipus as well. ... One cultural feature of the 1960s was an enormous explosion of societal sub- cultures based on drug use. ...

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