The Crying of Lot 49

The Crying of Lot 49

by

Thomas Pynchon

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Miles is a teenager who manages the Echo Courts motel and plays in the band the Paranoids. Like his other bandmates, Miles obsessively imitates the Beatles and embraces anything he perceives to be British, even though he actually has no idea what he is talking about. He sings a number of tacky songs throughout the novel, and when Oedipa offers to show his music to Mucho at KCUF radio, Miles gets offended because he assumes she is making a sexual advance on him.
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Miles Character Timeline in The Crying of Lot 49

The timeline below shows where the character Miles appears in The Crying of Lot 49. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 2
American Modernity and Counterculture Theme Icon
Although Oedipa’s room has a view of the swimming pool, the motel is eerily silent. Miles, the teenage motel manager, sings in a British accent while he carries Oedipa’s bags and... (full context)
Conspiracy, Interpretation, and Meaning Theme Icon
Media, Communication, and Human Relationships Theme Icon
The hairspray can runs out of air and falls to the ground. Suddenly, Miles is at the door, accompanied by three guys who look exactly like him and a... (full context)
Chapter 3
Conspiracy, Interpretation, and Meaning Theme Icon
American Modernity and Counterculture Theme Icon
Media, Communication, and Human Relationships Theme Icon
...called The Scope with Metzger. They go to get a break from Echo Courts, where Miles and the Paranoids frequently walk in on them having sex (even after they start doing... (full context)
Conspiracy, Interpretation, and Meaning Theme Icon
Media, Communication, and Human Relationships Theme Icon
Miles and one of the other Paranoids’ girlfriends comment that the story about the bones reminds... (full context)