The Role Of Artifice In The Crying Of Lot 49

Artifice is presented in numerous situations in “The Crying of Lot 49” that are seemingly distinct from one another– from Oedipa viewing herself as Rapunzel and examining the painting “Bordando el Manto Terrestre” to Dr. Hilarius’s creative facial expressions. However, because artifice can refer to simulation, construction, and fabrication, they are more closely linked than one would initially believe. When Oedipa reflects on her relationship with Pierce, she feels that she “gently conned herself into the curious, Rapunzel-like role of a pensive girl” (Pynchon 10) in that she waited for someone to save her. This simulation is limited though; besides rescue and being trapped, their tales diverge. While Rapunzel has her conflicts resolved, Oedipa realizes that “Pierce had taken her away from nothing, there’d been no escape” (Pynchon 11), an epiphany that arises upon seeing “Bordando el Manto Terrestre”.
The painting itself was constructed by the artist, and it shows the girls inside the painting constructing their surrounding world in an attempt to distract themselves from their isolation from the rest of the world and create an illusion that they are not the only ones present. This can be seen with Oedipa later on in the novel as she uses the mystery to distract from her isolation, though her delving into the mystery is also what spurred it. Another example of artifice is Dr. Hilarius using facial expressions on patients, claiming that he “once cured a case of hysterical blindness with his number 37” (Pynchon 9). He distorts his face which then somewhat resembles his natural appearance but in a more twisted