Chapter 34 (Chapter 33): A Fascist Training Camp in Hungary

Spoiler Notice: The following summary and analysis contain key plot details from Chapter 34 (numbered Chapter 33 in the text) of Shadow Ticket. Proceed at your own risk.

Summary

The band’s bus arrives at a Hungaro-Croatian terrorist training camp located on the border. The camp is described as “flexibly all-purpose Fascist,” specializing in lightning putsches and staffed by adventurers from across Europe and beyond—Austrian cornflower-wearers, secret police, anti-Red goon squads, escaped convicts, colonial stooges from Indo-China and South America, and nostalgic Hungarian aristocrats. At the gate, the standard Ustaša exchange takes place: “Za dom!” with a hand strike over the heart, answered by “Spremni!” The bass player explains that it is like “Heil Hitler” but different.

Storm Leader Dubendorff greets the band and unveils a sweeping view of the puszta, where tanks and squads are practicing an invasion of Fiume. That evening, a “Gay Evening with Vlad Țepeș” features a comedy sketch about Vlad’s vegetarian chef and a monologue on Vlad’s “simple impalement” legal system.

Tensions among the Vladboys, a vampire-like biker group, have been rising with the lunar cycle. They prowl through villages, hunting for Jews, but the population of available targets is dwindling, so they shoot at any phantom they deem Jewish. Ace is captured, and his Flathead motorcycle is mistaken for a Jewish motorcycle because the manufacturer’s name sounds like “Son of David.” A card game amongst visiting fascists erupts into violence when a player fails to follow suit; soon general gunfire breaks out.

Ace and the Vladboy Csongor take cover under a Tatra six-wheeler truck. They discuss death, time, and a tattoo on Ace’s arm reading “Die Todten reiten schnell” (“The dead ride fast”). Ace explains that among the dead time has no meaning, so speed becomes infinite—a notion Csongor dismisses as “Jewish physics.” Ace warns that a genuine golem is approaching. Zdeněk, a pocket-size golem with a ZB-26 light machine gun arm, arrives with Hop Wingdale. Zdeněk tells Csongor he is the Angel of Death and that Csongor is at the top of his list. Ace bids farewell, and Zdeněk drives off under fire.

After learning the Flathead has been confiscated, Ace dismisses it as a death trap. The escape continues as field howitzers lob shells toward them. Zdeněk uses dynamite borrowed from a Romanian firefighting crew to blast through a fence, and they flee.

Key Events

The band arrives at a Hungaro-Croatian terrorist training camp and participates in the Ustaša greeting ritual.
Storm Leader Dubendorff presents a view of the puszta with tanks practicing an invasion of Fiume.
A “Gay Evening with Vlad Țepeș” features a comedy routine about impalement and a parody legal system.
Tensions among the Vladboys escalate, leading to a violent card-game dispute that turns into a general firefight.
Ace and Csongor hide under a truck and discuss death, time, and Ace’s tattoo; Ace claims the dead move at infinite speed.
Zdeněk the golem and Hop Wingdale arrive to rescue Ace; Zdeněk threatens Csongor.
Ace’s Flathead motorcycle is taken, and he dismisses it as a death trap.
Zdeněk uses dynamite to blow a hole in a fence while under artillery fire, securing their escape.

Character Development

Ace: Displays resilience and dark humor despite captivity. He calmly debates the nature of death with Csongor, asserting a grim philosophy. He remains unimpressed by the Vladboys’ anti-Semitism and treats the confiscation of his bike with sardonic indifference.
Csongor: A “journeyman vampire” feared for his madness. He is curious about Ace’s ideas but condescendingly labels them “Jewish physics.” He is both fascinated and threatened by Ace’s otherworldly knowledge. His encounter with Zdeněk leaves him humiliated and threatened.
Zdeněk: A golem with a light machine gun arm, he embodies Jewish vengeance. He calls himself an earthly variant of Azrael, the Angel of Death. Bound by the UTOPIAN caveat (“Unless The Opportunity Presents Itself, Attack Nobody”), he refrains from killing Csongor but promises future punishment.
Hop Wingdale: A quiet presence who assists Zdeněk. She warns the group when they come under fire, showing alertness and competence.
Storm Leader Dubendorff: A figurehead of fascist pageantry, delivering grandiose speeches about the “Fascist future” while overseeing a chaotic training environment.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Fascist Absurdity: The camp’s blend of elaborate ritual (Ustaša greetings, Vlad Țepeș comedy) with mindless violence underscores Pynchon’s satirical view of fascism as a mix of theater and brutality. The “simple impalement” parody mocks the bureaucratic pretensions of totalitarian justice.
The Vampire as Political Monster: The Vladboys, vampire bikers, represent the predatory, eroticized violence of fascist paramilitaries. Their lunar cycles and “strangely erotic charge” link primal urges to pogroms.
Death, Time, and Infinity: Ace’s discussion of dividing by zero to compute infinite speed among the dead introduces a motif of transcendent mortality. The golem, as a figure of Jewish legend, mediates between life and death, carrying divine vengeance.
Jewish Identity Under Threat: The camp’s anti-Semitism is pervasive yet shambolic—the Vladboys hunt “Jews” but cannot accurately identify a Jewish motorcycle. Ace’s defiance and the golem’s appearance reaffirm Jewish resilience and retribution.
The Golem as Protector: Zdeněk, a modern golem with a machine gun, adapts ancient mythology to mechanized warfare. The UTOPIAN caveat highlights the tension between programmed restraint and righteous violence.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter deepens the novel’s critique of fascism by placing the band at the heart of a carnivalesque death camp. It introduces the Vladboys, a key antagonist group, and establishes the golem Zdeněk as a powerful ally for Ace. The philosophical conversation between Ace and Csongor about death and speed anticipates later metaphysical elements of the story. The chapter also reinforces patterns of ideological absurdity and the unrelenting threat of violence, while offering a rare moment of escape and solidarity between characters from different cultural backgrounds (Ace, Hop, Zdeněk). Additionally, it provides dark humor and satire that undercut the horror, maintaining Pynchon’s distinctive tone.

Study Questions

How does the chapter use the Vladboys’ vampire characteristics to comment on fascist movements?
Answer: The Vladboys’ vampire traits—lunar cycles, predatory arousal, hunting of Jews—parallel the ritualistic, eroticized violence of real-world fascist paramilitaries. Pynchon satirizes their pseudo-mystical justifications for brutality while showing how easily they descend into absurd, indiscriminate killing (e.g., shooting at phantoms). The “journeyman vampire” Csongor never fully matures, suggesting fascism’s arrested development.
What is the significance of Ace’s tattoo “Die Todten reiten schnell” and his explanation of infinite speed?
Answer: The tattoo quotes German poet Gottfried August Bürger’s “Lenore,” linking the dead to swift, unstoppable motion. Ace’s mathematical metaphor (dividing by zero) suggests that death transcends temporal and physical boundaries, granting the dead infinite speed. This foreshadows the novel’s treatment of liminal states between life and death, and elevates Ace to a figure of esoteric knowledge that baffles his fascist captors.
Explain the role of the UTOPIAN caveat in Zdeněk’s programming. How does it affect the plot and thematic depth?
Answer: The caveat (“Unless The Opportunity Presents Itself, Attack Nobody”) prevents Zdeněk from killing Csongor, even when it would be convenient. This restriction illustrates how even a supernatural protector must operate within ethical limits, contrasting with the Vladboys’ unbridled aggression. Thematically, it questions whether justice can be enforced without premeditated violence, and it allows Csongor to survive for potential future encounters.

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