Pynchon uses satire, irony and symbolism in modern society to denounce the defects of human morality and psychology. Thomas Pynchon was born on May 8, 1937 in Glen Cove, Long Island, New York. Young Thomas enjoyed a comfortable life, as his father took over as supervisor of the town of Oyster Bay, providing him and his two siblings, Judith and John, with a suitable environment for young minds to thrive. (Gale, “The Straight Dope.”) Exceptionally bright, Thomas graduated from Oyster Bay High School in 1953 at age 16, graduating with honors. (Chambers, 11) Pynchon received a full scholarship to Cornell University, however, at the end of his sophomore year he dropped out and enlisted for service in the U.S. Navy. After a tour in the Navy, Pynchon returned to Cornell in 1957 and transferred to the College of Arts and Sciences where he earned his bachelor's degree in English (Gale, "The Straight Dope.") That same year Thomas graduated with his BA from a “ distinction in all subjects". In 1959 the publication of his second story, "Mortality and Mercy in Vienna" became an exuberant example of an era. His second "novel", The Crying of Lot 49, was published in 1966, and Pynchon displays a sense of satirical comedy throughout. Vineland was eventually published in 1990 and, as the last of his subsequent works, remains one of the most ironic works of his otherwise ironic existence. Shortly after his last Vineland release, Pynchon became scarce and completely avoided media attention, his whereabouts unknown. Only his second outing, Mortality and Mercy in Vienna, was a sweeping tale that truly symbolized Pynchon's coming of age as a writer. The story can be considered epochal because, just like Pynchon's life, the...... medium of paper... of writing ironically refers to his story as the eminent author managed to avoid any public exposure of his all your life. There is currently little information on Pynchon's whereabouts, and the elusive man continues his ironic existence. Works Cited Pynchon, Thomas. The Cry of Lot 49. New York, NY: Bantam, 1972. Print.Pynchon, Thomas. Vigneland. New York, NY,:Penguin, 1990. Print.Pynchon, Thomas. Mortality and mercy in Vienna. London: Aloes, 1977. Print. David Gale, Lewis Nichols and Matthe Winston. "The real drug." Home page Thomas Pynchon of San Narciso College. San Narciso, 1995. Web. 24 March 2011.ND.Chambers, Judith. Thomas Pynchon. New York, NY: Twayne, 1992. Twayne US Authors. Print."Thomas R. Pynchon: Spermatikos Logos - Author's Homepage." The modern word. Network. 03 April. 2011.