In "The Crying of Lot 49," the protagonist, Oedipa, envisions the freeway not merely as a road but as a vital artery akin to a hypodermic needle delivering sustenance to the city of Los Angeles. This perspective suggests that the freeway plays a crucial role in maintaining the city’s structure and vitality, providing it with a sense of coherence and joy, while simultaneously insulating it from discomforts that might arise without...