Prividni red u haotičnom svijetu / The Apparent Order in a Chaotic World

Abstract

The primary objective of this paper is to show how Oedipa Maas, the central character in Thomas Pynchon’s novel The Crying of Lot 49, navigates the world by adhering to traditional and formal methods of rationalization. This entails creating a structured framework for understanding the world and its phenomena through strict logical connectives. Traditionally, such a form of rationalization has been associated with the analytical capacities of individuals, with the expectation that it can yield a singular, valid interpretation of the world. In this paper, we will examine Oedipa Maas’s condition and actions within the framework of two linguistic theories: one positing the existence of universal interpretive tools (Logos) aimed at providing a singular worldview, and the other emphasizing the social historical influences on individuals and the contingent nature of language as tools for interpreting the world. We attribute the first theory to Ferdinand de Saussure and the second to Jacques Derrida. This theoretical foundation will help us highlight the epistemic dimensions of the novel, where the protagonist attempts to adhere to a logocentric approach in her understanding of the world. Oedipa rejects Derrida’s view of language, fearing that it will lead to meaninglessness or chaos, and instead strives for a harmonious vision of the world (cosmos). However, the order she seeks and occasionally perceives is merely a reflection of her interpretive framework. She desires to perceive order, but it exists solely within the confines of her language.