I'm really interested in socially construction rules and limitations, and the various effects of transgression. The overarching dichotomic structure of drugs v. tennis in the novel can be read as an exploration of this theme: American culture encourages discipline, focus, and specialization, and tennis is an acceptable venue, whereas drugs are not. Why is this? The commonsensical answer - something along the lines of "well drugs are bad" - I think requires further interrogation. Why has drug use been devalorized to such an extreme degree? Answers will vary depending on one's analytic framework, but I'm inclined to say it's because drug addicts do not serve the interests of capital, or, more rigorously, stigmatizing drug use and relegating to marginalized sectors of society (which is a deeply racialized process) serves the interests of capital by legimitizing oppression - the diagnosis of drug problems within a community tends to justify cutting funding for social programs and what not.

Though there have been several death scenes laced with humor, I found Clipperton's suicide to be one of the novel's least humorous thus far. I remember there was a section before page 435 talking about the human incapability of dealing with achieving an ideal, I think it may have involved Schtitt's philosophies, but does anyone think they might know what I'm talking about?

I saw/ the novel made some parallels between Clipperton and NaCN-Quik kid (blue-faced suicide technique 437), there were both subject to "unprepared-goal-attaintment-trauma" (437). Clipperton's No.1 ranking is the result of inprobable bureaucratic shuffling, but it's unclear how NaCN-Quik kid suffered from this, any ideas?

The passage that starts on 564 concerning the lemming named Ursula is very interesting. It bring up several of the motifs we've explored in previous posts- suicide, being "passed over", etc.

"One lemming, kid?"
"I've had her for two years," he sobs, "she's been fine, she's never tried to-- I dont know. Somthing just came over her."
"Quit fooling. Lemmings never do anything alone. They need a crowd. Its gets contagious. You see, Ludwig, they overbreed, it goes in cycles, when ther are too many of them they panic and run off looking for food."

Slothrop finds it very hard to believe that Ludwig's lemmming would be the single lemming to survive the famously cliched mass-suicide of the lemmings.