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Astronomy is as soil'd at the hands of the Pelhamites as…

“Astronomy is as soil'd at the hands of the Pelhamites as ev'ry other Business in this Kingdom,— and we ever at the mercy of Place-jobbery, as much as any Nincompoop at Court.” quote by Thomas Pynchon
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““Astronomy is as soil'd at the hands of the Pelhamites as ev'ry other Business in this Kingdom,— and we ever at the mercy of Place-jobbery, as much as any Nincompoop at Court.””

Thomas Pynchon

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Satirically critiques bureaucracy and corruption, likening astronomy to a manipulated, petty enterprise.

In simple terms: Astronomy reduced to bureaucratic nonsense.

Key Takeaway

Question authority in science.

Themes

bureaucracy corruption science satire

Mood

cynical critical

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

  • government research
  • academic politics
  • policy making
  • media narratives

Key Concepts

power structures knowledge control institutional critique

Questions to Reflect On

  • How does bureaucracy affect scientific truth?
  • What reforms could restore integrity?
A Different Perspective

Satire may obscure serious issues.

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