In "The Crying of Lot 49," who inherits the estate of Pierce Inverarity?

In "The Crying of Lot 49," Oedipa Maas is the character who inherits the estate of Pierce Inverarity. Throughout the novel, Oedipa is drawn into a complex web of conspiracy and communication as she seeks to understand the legacy left by Inverarity, a wealthy and somewhat mysterious character. Her inheritance initiates her journey through various societal structures and ideologies, prompting her existential inquiries about meaning and connection in a postmodern world. The novel's exploration of Oedipa's experiences and her quest for understanding is central to its themes, making her inheritance pivotal to the narrative.

The other choices do not connect to the plot of "The Crying of Lot 49." Esther Greenwood is the protagonist of Sylvia Plath's "The Bell Jar," Charles Swann is a character from Marcel Proust's "In Search of Lost Time," and Marcel Proust himself is an author, not a character in Pynchon's work. Thus, Oedipa Maas stands out as the correct choice, as she is inherently tied to the narrative developments and thematic concerns of the novel.