The Crying...Chapters 2&3

Chapters 2 and 3 continued Chapter 1's trend of foreshadowing. As seen in the first chapter, Oedipa is once again seen being tempted to be unfaithful in her marriage - this time, however, is with another lawyer that is helping her go through Pierce's stuff. The affair with Metzger (the lawyer) is a large part of both chapters. It begins with the two watching a movie that Metzger was in as a boy. Oedipa begins to ask questions about the outcome of the movie to Metzger, who in return turns the questions into a strip game. Oedipa enters the game with much hesitation, even going to the bathroom to put on extra layers. This could possibly be compared to her life. It has been noticed that Oedipa has a suffering self esteem and lives a life that is not necessarily first choice to her. This is exemplified by both the continuing reference to her locked away like Rapunzel and her comparison to the LA interstate as a vein. She thinks to herself that the town would "be no less turned on for her absence." Oedipa has so far been pictured as a character of several internal struggles. Her relationship with Pierce is one thing that is still a mystery to me, but is something that i can see being a large cause for all of her unhappiness. When she asks Metzger about things that Pierce told him about her, he responds with the statement of "you wouldn't be easy." This causes Oedipa to become very upset and left me with several questions. Why did her and Pierce not work out? What led her to be with Mucho instead? It is apparent that Pierce is a part of Oedipa's past that was attempted to be shut up, but is not impossible to do so with her being now in charge of his will. Other questions arise in the next chapter as well. The meeting of Mike Fallopian and the talk about his group kind of confused me. I am interested to see both what all his group has of importance to other findings that Oedipa runs into with Pierce's leaving as well as the mystery of the Trystero.

rapier (p 52) - a small sword, especially of the 18th century, having a narrow blade and used for thrusting
"With the tongue impaled on his rapier Ercole runs to a burning torch set in the wall, sets the tongue aflame and waving it around..."