The Crying of Lot 49

In what ways does Oedipa adhere to stereotypes of mid-20th-century American housewives? In what ways does she defy these stereotypes? How does this change as the novel progresses?

How does the inclusion of The Courier's Tragedy as a story within a story affect the portrayal of alienation in the novel?

What is the symbolic meaning of the muted post horn? How is this meaning played with throughout the novel?