1. Inamorati Anonymous' association to the muted post horn symbol seems purely accidental, yet what are some similarities this group has to the Tristero?

2. What does the historical marker that Oedipa remembers seeing at Fangoso Lagoons commemorate?

3. As Oedipa sits in rush hour traffic on the Bay Bridge, what does she determine she knows about Tristero?

4. Why does Oedipa consider her job as co-executor to be similar to Driblette's job as director of a play?

5. What is the story behind the founding of Inamorati Anonymous?

6. What is Pynchon ridiculing through all of Oedipa's in-depth research into the Trystero?

7. The overall crisis Oedipa faces by the end of the novel could be summed up how?

8. When Oedipa visits Vesperhaven House, what does Mr. Thoth tell her about his dream?

9. The men Oedipa meets on her journey end up abandoning her. What were some of their fates and what did they represent?

10. Give examples of individuals with the post horn symbol who are somehow alienated from society.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Satire is the literary criticism of people and society through ridicule. Pynchon gives a satirical view of many of society's institutions in The Crying of Lot 49. Choose two of the following and discuss the use of each fully through characters, setting, plot and theme.

1) Law and lawyers

2) Psychiatry

3) Industrial corporations

4) Universities and scholarly research

5) Federal institutions such as the postal system

6) Urban sprawl

7) American pop culture

8) Capitalism

Essay Topic 2

The Crying of Lot 49 mixes elements taken from several different genres, or types of literature. Discuss each of these in terms of its use in the novel.

1) The picaresque novel, such as Don Quixote

2) The Jacobean and Elizabethan revenge plays, such as Hamlet

3) Mythology

4) Fairytales

5) Historical texts