My colleague Michael Harris, a distinguished number theorist at the Institut de Mathematiques de Jussieu in Paris, has a theory that three of Thomas Pynchon's major novels are governed by the three conic sections: Gravity's Rainbow is about paraboloas {all those rockets, launching, dropping!}, Mason & Dixon about ellipses, and Against the Day about hyperbolas. This seems as good to me as any other organizing theory of these novels I've encountered; certainly Pynchon, a former physics major who likes to drop references to Mobius strips and the quaternions in his novels, knows very well what the conic sections are.
Michael Harris, a renowned number theorist, proposes an intriguing interpretation of three major novels by Thomas Pynchon, suggesting that their structures align with the three conic sections. He argues that "Gravity's Rainbow" relates to parabolas due to its themes of launching and dropping rockets, while "Mason & Dixon" embodies ellipses. In contrast, "Against the Day" is associated with hyperbolas. This perspective offers a fresh lens through which to understand Pynchon's complex narratives.
Such an organizing theory resonates with the notion that Pynchon's background in physics influences his literary work, as he often incorporates mathematical references, including Mobius strips and quaternions. Harris's theory provides a compelling framework for analyzing these novels, highlighting how Pynchon weaves scientific concepts into his storytelling. Ellenberg's exploration of this perspective in "How Not to Be Wrong" further enriches our appreciation of the interplay between mathematics and literature.
