Tons of characters in The Crying of Lot 49 use drugs, and a handful of 'em abuse drugs. Oedipa's therapist wants her to start dropping acid, and she ultimately loses her husband because he's on so much LSD that he's basically lost his mind. Plus, there's a bunch of drunkity-drunk-drunk scenes.
Drugs and alcohol are often shown to erode human relationships (as if Pynchon's characters needed help with that), and in some cases they seriously alter characters' relationships with reality (again—as if Pynchon's characters needed help in that department).
Questions About Drugs and Alcohol
- How and why do the men use drugs and alcohol in the novel?
- How does Oedipa deal with drugs and alcohol when they are offered to her? When does she accept? When does she refuse? Can you tell why she makes these choices?
- What affect does LSD have on Mucho, and how does it affect his relationship with Oedipa?
- Are drugs and alcohol a positive or a negative force in the novel? Or both?
Chew on This
In Lot 49, Oedipa never chooses to use drugs or alcohol for their own sake. They are always forced upon her by someone with an agenda, and so drugs and alcohol are threatening.
In the novel, drugs and alcohol lead characters into isolation and madness.