“God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers? What was holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet owned has bled to death under our knives: who will wipe this blood off us? What water is there for us to clean ourselves? What festivals of atonement, what sacred games shall we have to invent? Is not the greatness of this deed too great for us? Must we ourselves not become gods simply to appear worthy of it? There has never been a greater deed; and whoever is born after us—for the sake of this deed he will belong to a higher history than all history hitherto.”[1]

Frederich Nietzsche, through his famous work The Parable of the Madman, expresses the moral and philosophical catastrophe brought with the age of enlightenment.  As logic and science began to overthrow religion as the dominant authority of knowledge, objective morality became impossible when detached from the divine.  The loss of an external source of universal moral authority then requires humanity to search for the source of ethics within themselves.  Without a deity to adjudicate, humanity must assume the role of moral arbiter.

One implication which emanates from the The Windup Girl[2] is that there is no guidebook, no instructions on how to proceed with the evolution of humanity.  Humanity must make decisions about how to ensure that the life of the species continues, and whether it is a life worth living.

More to the point, we should remain cognoscente of the dangers of deferring to scientists who try to occupy the role of god.  What is possible through science is not always desirable.  The character Gibson is one such scientist who overtly refers to himself as a god, “We are nature. Our every tinkering is nature, our every biological striving. We are what we are, and the world is ours. We are its gods. Your only difficulty is your unwillingness to unleash your potential fully upon it.”[3] However, he does not represent the righteous deity of human aspiration.  Instead, Gibson nihilistically mocks the contemplation of ethical obligation and considers it an arbitrarily relative matter.

Furthermore, all of the dystopian elements that Bacigalupi cautions against (the Cheshire as invasive species; the rising sea levels from climate change; plague and famine from genetically mutated disease) could arguably be the result of such pure hedonistic pursuits lacking any transcendental constraint.

[4]

Bibliography

[1]  Friedrich Nietzsche, The Gay Science (1882, 1887) para. 125; Walter Kaufmann ed. (New York: Vintage, 1974), pp.181-82.]  in Modern History Sourcebook: Nietzsche: Parable of the Madman.  http://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/mod/nietzsche-madman.asp

[2] Paolo Bacigalupi, The Windup Girl, (San Francisco: Night Shade Books, 2009)

[3]  Paolo Bacigalupi, The Windup Girl, Kindle Edition, (San Francisco: Night Shade Books, 2009), 393

[4] Trent Reznor – Nine Inch Nails, “Heresy,” Paul Huston, Youtube.com. https://youtu.be/tzlc-KsIUIU

Hello hello! Let me tell you a little more about Grahamites, and why Bacigalupi might have decided to include them as the instance of Christianity in his lovely book.

According to Cindy Lobel, the Grahamites were those who followed Sylvester Graham and practiced “limiting their diets; avoiding meat, spices, condiments, and complex preparations of food; abstaining from alcohol; and bathing regularly.” Historically, those regulations appealed to people back in the nineteenth century as a contrast to eating greasy and/or processed foods. Ironically enough, the same restrictions help in the opposite conditions, like those in the world of The Windup Girl, where food is scarce and disease is rampant.

They took “you are what you eat” to a different level. For exampled the Grahamites argued, “Eat spicy foods … and you might have a spicy constitution, making you prone to the temptations of the day, including drinking, gambling, and prostitution” (Lobel). Their diet, to be sure, was bland. They promoted bran bread, the inspiration for Graham Crackers. This presents something of a contradiction, given that there’s plenty of alcohol in the book, but the sentiment of mostly unaltered food remains.

Of particular note is the vegetarianism. The book scarcely mentions meat and other animal products altogether, with the death of the megodont being the only major mention of humans eating meat. Specifically, “the offal will likely go to feed the pigs of the Dung Lord’s perimeter farms, or stock the yellow card food lines feeding the Malayan Chinese refugees who live in the sweltering old Expansion towers under the Dung Lord’s protection” (Bacigalupi 25). With all the odd diseases, it’s probably safe to assume most meat isn’t fit for consumption; a religion of vegetarians would have a feasible platform.

Source/More Information

Works Cited

Bacigalupi, Paolo. The Windup Girl. Night Shade: New York. 2009.

Lobel, Cindy. “Sylvester Graham and Antebellum Diet Reform.” History Now: The Journal of the Gilder Lehrman

     Institute. https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/first-age-reform/essays/sylvester-graham-

and-antebellum-diet-reform. Accessed 9 December 2016.

We see a lot of perspectives in The Windup Girl; in Jaidee’s chapter, we learn more about the Environmental Ministry and how the Ministry was started. It’s pointed out that “All life produces waste. The act of living produces costs, hazards, and disposal questions, and the Ministry has found itself in the center of all life, … guiding and policing… the average person along with investigating the infractions of the greedy and short-sighted, the ones who wish to make quick profits and trade on others’ lives for it” (Bacigalupi 134). Today we see a lot of the problems that characters in the novel experience. We produces insane amounts of garbage and have no way to really dispose of our wastes.

Most household appliances and electronics are created to only last a few years; people don’t know how to fix things as much as they used to, so the broken items will just be thrown away and a newly bought version of the same thing will take it’s place. Everyday, millions of people will use disposable cups and utensils, which can’t degrade and will sit for years, if not decades or centuries. Every single piece of plastic that has been created still exists today. There is huge a island of plastic, formally called the Great Pacific garbage patch (a catchy name, I know), floating around the Pacific Ocean. Society has been taught that to be alive means to create waste, which is true to an extent; however, consumerism has brought our creation of waste to a new, uncontrollable level. I feel like we could use an Environmental Ministry to teach people how to properly dispose of waste, show them alternatives to disposable plastics, and much more.

Source: Paolo Bacigalupi, The Windup Girl, (San Fransisco: Night Shade Books, 2010).

Infographic: http://intentblog.com/every-piece-of-plastic-ever-made-still-exists-today-infographic/

We have seen evidence in today’s society that rape culture is very prominent. People who have been raped don’t report it and if they do they often withdraw the accusation because we as women don’t feel that we have the right to say no. It’s easier and honestly safer to just let it happen than to say no. There are stories in the news of people grooming children to be trafficked, the younger the child the higher the price and the longer you can use them. The youngest person to be recovered in Wisconsin from sex trafficking was 18 months. This is a real problem that appears both in today’s society and in Windup girl. Emiko has been socially programmed that she is a sex object, made to be used for men’s sexual pleasure, and taught that she is not allowed to say no. In Windup girl we are witness to violent rapes of Emiko, yet she never flat out says no, how is she to know that sex is a choice when this is how she was raised? When she is rescued by Anderson on page 115 she tells him that he can have sex with her if he wants, that she won’t protest, because she feels like she owes it to him for rescuing her. She is raised to be a sex object instead of treated with respect like a being with emotions should be. When Bacigalupi wrote Emiko with emotions he turned a toy into a real experience for the customers, but he also turned using a toy into a rape. I think that Bacigalupi did this intentionally to draw attention to rape especially rapes when the people being raped have been groomed to believe they are sex objects.

Bacigalupi, Paolo. The Windup Girl. San Francisco: Night Shade, 2009. Print.

Emiko from The Windup Girl is an interesting character. I feel terrible for her. She is left behind by her first owner; but only because it would have been too expensive to take her back to Japan. Her character starts off the novel going through such harsh abuse, and it only seems to get worse as the novel goes on. The abuse seems to be what triggers Emiko into becoming human, I think. When she is talking about being with her first owner she mentions how she was great at her job, and she seems to miss that role. It makes me wonder if she ever would have realized her self worth if she had been left with Gendo-sama. She seemed to have been happy serving him and goes into detail about how in Japan Windup Girls are treated better. It makes me question what her life would have been like if she had never left Japan. Would she have actually realized that she does have value, not because she can serve someone else, but rather just because she is alive. I honestly do not think she would have come to that realization. I honestly do not know if that is a good thing or not. Is self actualization and self worth so important that someone should have to go through hell? I honestly don’t know. I feel like there should have been a less brutal way for Emiko to realize that she is better than just a slave.

Paolo Bacigalupi, The Windup Girl, (San Fransisco: Night Shade Books, 2010)

media- http://www.stevebeangames.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Windup-Girl-photo.png

Okay, this is going to be a little far-fetched.

What if the eshus of Midnight Robber are, in fact, the spirits of the Douen? Specifically, the spirits of the Douen somehow imbued into the technology?

The idea of spirits possessing technology is not new. In fact, ghosts being forced, invited, or otherwise choosing to inhabit technology occurs even within our pop-culture (Pokemon Sun/Moon, anyone?)

I got the idea from the last bold section, where the story-teller announces themselves to be eshu, “with me riding [Granny Nanny] back like Dry bone” (Hopkinson 327). Other than the storytelling sections, the female Douen speak with a boldfaced font. While all the Douen were exterminated in Toussaint, who says that their spirits don’t live on? They might’ve been offered new life by the programmers, purposefully building Nanny Granny and the eshus to house actual spirits. Or, the spirits of the Douen might have been running amuck, and the programmers decided to forcibly contain them in computers. Either way, that would give the programming tribe ample reason to avoid electronic connection. Perhaps, even, the Douen, getting the last laugh from the afterlife, simply chose to inhabit people’s houses, and the programmers were the only ones who knew that something was off.

Furthermore, in order to control the technology, the programmers use “Nannysongs.” That is, garbled clicks and chirps that Granny Nanny recognizes. Huh. What else is described as garbled clicks and chirps? Douen language! When Tan-Tan tries speaking it, she sounds weird. Also, the Douen are fond of singing stuff, and they’re known for using some form of magic. And technology is compared to magic in this book.

Works Cited:

Hopkinson, Nalo. Midnight Robber. New York, Warner Books, 2000.

PeteLinforth, untitled. https://pixabay.com/en/angel-fantasy-heaven-spirit-wings-1872970/. Accessed December 2016.

Emiko, a biologically-enginnered sex slave stuck in the endless cycle of abuse at an illegal sex club, is a symbol of the treatment and objectification of women. In objectification, people are viewed as objects or things that someone else can treat those people however they want. Women are sometimes seen as sex objects, something for men to use for their own pleasure. However, many women don’t see they are being objectified; they think it’s important to keep their partner happy and will do whatever they want, even if that means their own degradation.

After Emiko’s initial abuse, some other men come in. Emiko then “feels a stirring of her genetic urge to please” (47). Although she was crafted as a literal sex object, she has feelings and emotion on how she is treated. Some women feel obligated to make their partner happy, so they do anything. They feel that it’s their duty as a woman to make their partner happy. If they don’t make their significant other happy, they themselves are failing as women, whose supposed  instinct is to take care of people and to be submissive. Most women don’t even realize this feeling of responsibility. They’ve been taught since they were young to let other’s have access to their body without having their permission. For example, many kids, especially girls, are told to hug their aunt/uncle/grandparent/whatever even if the child doesn’t want to. “Don’t be rude! Give them a hug. You’re making them sad.” So the kid caves in and gives their family member a hug. This is perpetuating the idea that even if you don’t like what someone is doing to you, you have to let them to make them happy. The idea is so ingrained in Emiko that she can’t help but want to please her johns, even after her abuse. I think she realizes the wrongness in this, though, and probably doesn’t want to be kept a slave any longer. Hopefully, she will be freed from the disgusting acts and people at the club.

Source: Bacigalupi, Paolo. The Windup Girl. San Francisco: Night Shade, 2009. Print.

Image: http://otakuparade.deviantart.com/art/Wind-Up-Doll-Revisit-358831941

Our final novel of the semester is The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi. I have been waiting to read this book since we first got our book list at the beginning of the year, mostly because I remember going with my brother to Barnes and Nobles to buy it a few years ago, and I was interested in it then, but apparently not enough to read it.

So far this book is interesting with a very detailed world and people. We’re given right away a description rich in details: “Mounds of durians fill the alley in reeking piles and water tubs splash with snakehead fish and red-fin plaa.” (Bacigalupi, 1). We talked a lot about the world in class today about how realistic it feels and reads. I was thinking a little more about that, and I would also add that even though it is a little confusing right now about what’s going on because Bacigalupi is so matter of fact about everything, I really do like that, because it immerses you in the world. I might be reading something that I don’t quite understand yet, but I accept it and move on for now because of the way it’s written: “…He has been creating a library, a historical window into the City of Divine Beings, times drawn from before the calorie wars and plagues, before the Contraction.” (Bacigalupi, 62). The way that Bacigalupi writes it here shows us that it’s all in the past and everyone knows about it already, even though we as readers don’t know what’s happening yet.

From what we’ve seen so far, the characters in Midnight Robber do not follow any specific religion. They instead look to Granny Nanny, pretty much the Internet system that gains access into people’s minds and thoughts through nanomites that are injected into people after birth. Nanny, for short, is an all-knowing entity that watches over and listens to the people and people, from birth, have no control of what she sees/hears. Robinson purposely made Nanny as a parallel to God to show how people worship technology, rather than treating it as a something simply necessary to drive society forward.

For example, Maka and Antonio talk about some songs Nanny came up with on her (it’s?) own. They’re simple songs that they can understand; one of the men even compares these songs to the proverbs Nanny used to read to them (Hopkinson, 52). Nanny is creating her own hymns for her people to sing along. I used to attend private Catholic school as a child and we were always told how singing to God would make him and our relationship with him stronger. I think Hopkinson was drawing on this idea to make the audience see how placing such high esteem on technology can be destructive. By equating Nanny’s songs to proverbs and hymns, these hymns lose their significance and power. Nanny’s songs will remind the people of her and, unwittingly, the people place Nanny’s judgement over an religious figure’s.

Another instance that stood out to me was when people swear to Nanny (64 and 70). Antonio says  “Nanny have mercy” (70) reminds me of the saying “God have mercy”. This just emphasizes the point that Hopkinson is making; people worship technology over actual religions. I also learned in school that we were supposed to always put God’s importance over ourselves. The importance of technology, in the book and in our daily lives, has somewhat been placed before ourselves and above our religion. I can’t count how many people I’ve seen playing on their phones in church (me being one of them). When walking down a hallway, most people will play with their phones just to keep themselves occupied and away from being alone with their thoughts. I think technology is important to society; it’s what allows us to prosper, rather than just survive. Even the invention of fire or the wheel is considered advancing technology. But with the rapid increase in technological advancements today, like with the Internet and cell phones, people put these objects above themselves and their spirituality.

Sources: http://matthewstarner.com/tag/technology-for-worship/

At the end of He, She and It I feel like Marge Piercy had to have the Maharal unmake Joseph. I also feel that she had to have Yod destroy himself and Avram. In both cases the parting of the characters seems the most humane in the long run. The ending to Malkah’s golem story is quite sad, but I feel that it was the only resolution that truly fit into both narratives. The Maharal near his death worries about Joseph and the harm he could do. He ponders to himself what Joseph’s life expectancy could be, and he ends up thinking that it could be for hundreds of years possibly (395). I think that the Maharal did the most humane thing that he could think of at the time for Joseph. If Joseph had continued to listen past the Maharal’s direction, then Joseph would have suffered immensely. Had Joseph gone on living he would have ended up being rejected by Chava, and I think that he would not have followed the next Rabbi, but only her. If this idea is correct Joseph would have had to live the rest of his life heart broken. Besides heart break there are other issues that Joseph would have had to face, like why he was still alive and didn’t require sleep. Even though the death of Joseph was difficult to read I feel like it was the most humane thing. 

For a similar reason, I feel like Yod and the cyborg project had to die. I feel like Yod also has the same idea, because as Avram assures him that there will be more cyborgs Yod says, “That remains to be seen”(411). This sentence suggests to me that Yod might have had this planned for a while. I think that Yod realizes what kind of situation he is in. He basically is too advanced for humanity, the council’s reaction to him seems to prove this. When he is announced as a cyborg the council starts to treat him as less than human. Yod cannot fit in or belong in a world where even the woman he seems to have fallen in love with cannot see him as more than just a machine. For these reasons, it seemed like Yod was destined for failure before he was created. Even Malkah admits that, “Yod was a mistake. You’re the right path, Nili” (412). Malkah goes on to explain the difference between Yod and Nili and it seems like the fact that Nili was born and is human through biology is what is important. Yod cannot be human it seems simply because he was not born. This idea that Yod is not human, but is just a machine reminds me of a Three Days Grace song, “I Am Machine.” I interpreted the song as a cyborg type being lamenting the fact it wishes it could feel everything a human does. 

Sources

Marge Piercy, He, She, and It (New York: Ballantine Books, 1991)

media https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flq30E6LI9E

In discussions of how to define humanity, one trait that often comes up is whether an individual possesses volition – they chose their thoughts and actions – or they are just doing what they were programmed to do (which often describes Yod).  Yod is often delineated as less than human because he is just doing “what he was programmed to do,” but is any choice by a human under less influence of such pre-determined programming?  Furthermore, if both humans and AI/cyborgs share a programmed baseline, does free will work to distinguish the two, or is there no difference?

Humans often consider themselves in a privileged position over Yod in Piercy’s novel, “’Machines do not have volition, Dr. Shipman-surely you have not entirely taken leave of your senses,’ Dr. Vogt said. ‘They have programming that defines goals.  Since they are compelled to pursue those programmed ends, they may appear willful, but we are dealing with the same projection of affect my little boy was guilty of when he used to say a chair hit him.’”[1] The implied premise in the text by Dr. Vogt is that humans are not acting under the compulsion of programming, and that is why our thoughts and actions are a result of genuine consciousness, and free will.  Therefore, the conclusion of the statement is that humans are different than cyborgs or AI because the later are not the creators of their own will, personality, or character.

Conversly, are humans truly in control of their will, or are they “programed” so to speak?  If one were to inherit a nervous tick, or a compulsion towards anger at the color red for example, can we say that the individual chose that trait to be a part of their personality, or was it just programmed by the biological factors that made up their brain structure?  Additionally, is there any thought or desire that does not originate or at least need to pass through this brain structure?  It would seem not, and so the terminal which our thoughts and desires originate is determined for us before we even conceive of our consciousness.  If one has a certain preference towards some action there is nothing that can be done to change it.  The reader may object “but what if they chose not to respond to the aforementioned preference, or respond opposite their programming?” Sure, but is that not, itself, the result of a stronger preference to deny the original preference, and don’t they both have to be thought by the brain which was constructed without volition?  So perhaps our idea that humans function independently of programming is an illusion which we prefer, and even that preference is the result of an inherited biological necessity.

So, if it is the case that, AI/cyborgs function based on programmed desires and inhibitions, and it is the case that humans function based on programmed desires, aren’t they alike in those aspects, and would we have to deny either one of them humanity if they cannot prove an independent origin of their will and desire?  “Aren’t you programmed too? Isn’t that what socializing a child is?  I enjoy, Shira, never doubt that.  If I’ve been programmed to find your pleasure important and fulfilling, don’t women try to reprograming their men that way?’”[2]  Or perhaps being programmed is just another part of humanity, one that must be endured no matter how it has been created.

[3]

[4]

Bibliography

[1] Marge Piercy, He, She and It, (New York: Fawcett Books, 1991), 392

[2] Ibid, 322

[3] Dr. Robert Speth, so There is No Free Will. Now What?: Robert Seth at TEDxNSU. Youtube.com.  https://youtu.be/UH_VG_aqwoc

[4] Dr. Gregg Caruso. The Dark Side of Free Will.  TEDx ChemungRiver.  Youtube.com https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfOMqehl-ZA

With He, She, and It by Marge Piercy now finished, we are left with the thought that Yod is a sentient being, capable of all life functions. First, he is capable of higher thought, meaning that he is able to learn about different situations, and how to handle them, adapting to his surrounds one might say. He is self-aware, knowing what will happen when becomes a bomb. He is aware that he will die, and leave the living behind. Yod displays his ability to chose, “‘Father, I do make choices’, Yod said reasonably. ‘My choice is now to leave quickly with Shira'” (276).

This reminds me of an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation when Lt. Commander Data is put on trial to determine if he is sentient or property.

In the end, it is determined by the court that Data will have the freedom of choice, and as such, refuses to be taken apart and studied so that more may be built of him. This brings about the idea that a being that is able to chose its own fate is a sentient being. Yod is a bit odd is saying he does not have the right to chose, yet he displays his ability to chose. “‘I don’t understand why anyone would want to be a soldier, a weapon, but at least people sometimes have a choice to obey or refuse. I had none'” (415). Here Yod is most likely referring to his creation as being a weapon (the defender of the town), but he chose to eliminate himself, his creator Avram, and all notes on him, despite one of his core programming principles being defend Avram. While a majority of our focus was on determine if Yod was human, we skipped over determining if Yod was sentient. I believe Yod is a sentient being, because he displays characteristics associated with sentience.

References:

Piercy, Marge. He, She And It. New York, The Random House Publishing Group. 1991.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjuQRCG_sUw – Video

When starting to read this book I think the most abnormal thing for me was the nanomites that are put into brains to connect each person with the nanomites Granny Nanny which is comparable to the internet which I feel would be super helpful but also super exhausting being able to access all that information all the time I feel like I would never sleep. Even in class I find issues staying off the internet and all the information that you can have through it, to the point where I turn airplane mode on for most classes when I need my laptop for notes or anything. Granny Nanny can track needs and monitoring activity, so I feel like that basically gives no responsibility to the human instead the Granny Nanny takes care of everything. I don’t really understand because human nature is to get jealous and it seems like the granny nanny takes care of all arguments and such so how can humans be able to be humans if all arguments are taken care of and humans needs are also taken care of so how can humans be allowed to be human and experience what it means to be human? Another criticism I have is that in class we talked about how the Granny Nanny could also be compared to Big Brother because it can track everyone. The creators know this and resist getting the nanomites. It sounds like it is invasive as much as it is helpful and as though it really dominates people’s lives, to the point where most people don’t work but some do.

“You steal information.”

“I liberate it. Information shouldn’t be a commodity.  That’s obscene”[1]

[2]

In the age of information, “The ability to access information is power.”[3]  I can really appreciate Piercy’s commentary on the ethical obligation to have access to information.  Information is the great equalizer, and should not be a commodity of the wealthy or powerful.  It is the medium of education, truth, and enlightenment.  I like the way this idea is romanticized by Piercy’s information pirates, “With mass literacy, any person no matter how poor could learn how the society operated, could share visions of how things might be different.”[4] I also like the emphasis on the history of the printing press, and the written word in paper format of books.  It conjures up the significance that these events had on the past, and compares them to the potential breakthroughs in digital information.  In the wake of hackers, public and government databases (e.g. the PRISM program, Wikileaks, and Project Guttenburg), Information can expose corruption (e.g. Panama Papers), decide elections, advance humanity, and fulfill the deepest human desires.  It is powerful, and so must be the forces that wield it.  The guerrilla cyberpunk war in the novel resonates with many of the information wars in contemporary society, noble information warriors are needed to ensure that this vast sea of knowledge is channeled and accessed properly.

[5]

But is all information equal?  Should all information be public, or should there be some information that is private?  An example that should give pause to the generalization that “information” should be free – the implied premise being that all information is equal – would be personal information.  Does a government have the right to an individual’s personal information?  Should the United States publish nuclear launch codes, as an example of sensitive information?  I would argue that a missed opportunity in the novel, is to make more distinction between personal, public, and sensitive information, explaining the relationship and importance of each.

To some degree, information pirates play a defensive role as much as offensive, they produce “Chimaras” in order to thwart attack or entrance to the “base.”  So in the same way that information, in the positive, is power (gaining beneficial knowledge), protecting information is also power.  I would argue that the ability to afford “personal information” should not be a commodity only afforded to the super wealthy, and differs greatly from corporate and government secrecy.  This aspect should be considered as well.

[1] Marge Piercy, He She, and It, (New York: Ballantine Books, 1991), 193-194

[2] Greg Copeland, “Illustration of Martin Luthor,” The Gospel Coalition  https://blogs.thegospelcoalition.org/justintaylor/2012/10/31/what-was-luther-doing-when-he-nailed-his-95-theses-to-the-wittenberg-door/

[3] Marge Piercy, He She, and It, (New York: Ballantine Books, 1991),, 194

[4] Ibid, 194

[5] Photo of Edward Snowden, Washington Post, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/edward-snowden-after-months-of-nsa-revelations-says-his-missions-accomplished/2013/12/23/49fc36de-6c1c-11e3-a523-fe73f0ff6b8d_story.html

A notable word used throughout  He, She, and It is “natural” and “unnatural”, especially talks with humans and cyborgs. On page 150, Yod and Shira argue if Shira is actually disgusted by Yod or not. She says “Yod, we are all unnatural now. I have retinal implants… a plug set into my skull to interface with a computer… a corneal implant…. We’re all cyborgs, Yod. You’re just a purer form of what we’re all tending toward.” This conversation stirs up thoughts of modern medicine. Countless diseases and ailments can be cured or at least maintained. People are living longer, even if not necessarily healthier. I think it’s an interesting point, especially at the point where medicine is today. Scientists are currently making noses, ears, and more by using biological cells and a 3-D printer. This is completely revolutionary and will help millions of people. Shira also tells Yod that Avram has an artificial heart, Gadi has an artificial kidney, and Malkah has had new eyes rebuilt twice. Characters in the novel, although profound to us, find that this is the ordinary. Malkah has had three different sets of eyes! We are just breaking into possibility of eye implants. The advancement in their medicine has lead them to think of themselves as somewhat invincible; they can treat their bodies however they want because they can just get a new part. In our society, this also holds true. We don’t focus so much on preventative measures of diseases, but how to fix the body afterward. For example, instead of eating right and excercising, people will wait until they have a heart attack to make any lifestyle changes. And sometimes, after a surgery, people will go back to their destructive patterns. Rather than wanting a quality life, many people just want a long life. They confuse longevity with happiness. I think Piercy wants the audience to realize that while we should work on how to better our medicine, we need to also pay attention to preventing unnecessary diseases and illnesses.

Sources:

Piercy, Marge. He, She, and It: a Novel. New York, Knopf, 1991.

Millsaps, Bridget Butler. “Swedish Researchers Successfully Make 3D Printed Scaffolding for Cartilage Regrowth in Humans.” 3DPrintcom. 3DR Holdings, LLC, 21 Mar. 2016. Web. 12 Nov. 2016.

In my opinion Marge Piercy’s character Yod should be considered human. To be human I think that a being must be partly biological, capable of higher intelligence, and have a range of human emotions. Yod demonstrates on multiple occasions that he does react like a human to impulses from his brain, that could be considered emotions. One example is when he is talking to Shira and mentions that he feels things no differently than she does. He explains that both humans and cyborgs have basically been programmed to like or dislike things (Piercy 106). This idea that humans are programmed like Yod shows how he can be considered human.

However, programming is only one piece of what is required to be human, I think. Yod proves how intelligent he is multiple times in the book. One example is when he has to come up with solutions around Y-S’s defenses (Piercy 266-275). This ability to access a situation and come to a working solution shows that Yod is capable of higher intelligence.

Another reason why Yod should count as human is because he is a biological being. As Shira points out that the human race has had to modify itself to its surroundings and she says in the book. “We are all cyborgs, Yod” (Piercy 150). Shira also goes on to tell Yod that basically he is where humanity is headed in evolution. An example that seems to prove Shira right is Nili’s adaptaions to living in the nuclear waste land that was Israel. Nili describes how the children are basically genetically engineered, and then they become further modified after birth (Piercy 198). Also, earlier she admitted that she herself as a modified being was just as illegal as Yod (Piercy 197). These technological modifications seem to be the only way that people can survive out in the Raw.

In my opinion since humans like Nili are still considered humans cyborgs like Yod should also be considered human. They both share all the basic qualities that make people human.

On a side note this discussion made me think of  a White Zombie song entitled “More Human than the Human”. The reason why the song reminded me of the discussion is because of the idea that cyborgs could have been or could be created to help humanity regain elements of their own nature that they had lost.

Sources

media- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZYQafx3pIQ

Marge Piercy, He, She, and It (New York: Ballantine Books, 1991)

In Marge Piercy’s novel He, She and It, she has a character named Yod, who is a cyborg. He is an interesting character (characters are important to me). We know that Yod was created to protect, and that he kills several people in the book.

When Yod kills to protect Shira from organ scavengers, Yod tells Shira, “This was the first time I have truly defended. It was highly pleasurable…I liked killing them, do you understand?” (Piercy, 111). Yod was created to protect and he enjoys the feeling that he got after doing what he was created to do. This is interesting because it raises questions of morality and killing. Like what we talked about in class, when is violence acceptable? Personally, I think that violence is acceptable in the case of protecting others (again, something we had talked about in class), so in Yod’s case, the violence was necessary. However, I would imagine that most people don’t feel good after hurting someone, but Yod does, and this makes Shira uncomfortable and scared: “She could think of nothing to say; she found his statements frightening. Probably when she felt less exhausted emotionally and physically, she would find his revelation even more disturbing” (Piercy, 111).  Shira has a normal reaction to someone confessing that they enjoyed killing. Her reaction is something that we would probably have had if we were in her shoes. And yet, Shira still feels something towards Yod that isn’t disgust or fear; they even start up a relationship later. This means Shira might have gotten used to the idea of Yod’s pleasure in killing people or maybe she realized that Yod would only ever kill others when the people he cares about (or is programed to protect) are in danger. 

The cyborg’s name is Yod. I want to speculate about the name; it may or may not reflect what the author Marge Piercy thought about when choosing that name for that particular character.

Yod (rhymes with mode) is the 10th letter of the Hebrew alphabet (Piercy 69). It has a numeric value of 10. It looks kind of like an apostrophe. Yod is the smallest Hebrew letter. It can be a symbol of humility. It is the first letter in the name of the Hebrew God, and the first letter in the Hebrew word for “Jews” (Parson). Otherwise, as a word, Yod means “arm” or “leg” (Parson).

How does this compare with Yod’s character?

Yod is not small. He is “of medium height, with a solid compact build” (Piercy 68). He does, however, have decent arms and legs. He’s also supposed to be the tenth try (Piercy 72). His numeric value of 10 holds a special significance in numerology–it is a number of completion. Yod is Avram’s first complete cyborg (Piercy 70). He’s a protector of both Tikva and Shira; the Hebrew God is known, among a multitude of other things, as a protector of the Jews. In terms of humility, he doesn’t seem entirely proud.

Figuratively with the arms and legs, Yod is quite strong. He’s able to snap the spine of a would-be assassin, but also quite gentle, carrying Shira away from the scene without hurting her (Piercy 219). And, of course, Yod is made by Jewish people to serve the Jewish people. He identifies with the Jewish people in the book. He is made both of organic material and as a machine. A person, yet not human. No wonder there’s the question of crossing the Eternal.

Information on Yod

Works Cited:

Parsons, John J. “The Letter Yod.” Hebrew for Christians,

http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Grammar/Unit_One/Aleph-Bet/Yod/yod.html, 2016.

Piercy, Marge. He, She and It. Ballantine, 1991.

Today (11/10/2016) in class, we brought up the definition of humanity. What is it? What does it encompass? Well, for starters, I shall define humanity as a virtue. Virtues are defined as traits that are deemed “morally good”. Morals are bound by the perspective of good and bad, so my definition will be a bit vague as a result. Humanity is a virtue based on Altruistic beliefs. Altruism focus on the belief of selflessness, such as concern for others. This is all based on the idea of the “human condition”. The human condition is an exceptionally board topic basically encompassing the traits of human existence, such as emotions, growth (in terms of learning), morality, etc. In class we brought up education (growth in broader terms) when we were talking about this. Riva in He, She and It, acts on the belief that “Information shouldn’t be a commodity” (Piercy 193). It is noted that he stole information to save lives, which illegal by law but, justified morally. It is also mentioned later that “The knowledge of the book can’t be hoarded by the children of the rich” indicated that everyone should be able to read (Piercy 203).

Now this is where morals enter a grey area. Earlier I stated that Riva stole information to save lives, which he did illegally, but it was defined as morally good. Now I present this Star Trek Voyager scene:

“Ethics are arbitrary”, and “It’s convenient to draw a line between higher and lower species…” are just a few grey areas due to perspective differences here. These grey areas make answering the question of what is humanity difficult. Are we able to do “bad/evil” things in the name of the greater good? Or does everything go on a case by case basis skipping long term benefits? One thing is for certain, it is all a matter of perspective.

Reference(s):

Piercy, Marge. He, She And It. New York, The Random House Publishing Group. 1991.

In a discussion about Piercy’s He, She, and It, social constructs came to the surface of the conversation. The conversation had begun with Yod being unnatural, then argued that so much of what is considered natural in our lives today is actually, literally unnatural, or forced. We can refer to this as technology — from a pirate’s wooden leg to a bluetooth headset used at work — either physically attached to us or not. The conversation then led to the concept of evolution and how it contributes to the conversion of once unnatural objects becoming natural in our lives. Social construct then came into the discussion as an explanation for these objects evolving from unnatural to natural in our lives.

One social construct, brought up only briefly, was fashion. I immediately thought of a song written by Jon Bellion called “Fashion.” In this song, Bellion describes our (society’s) need for fashion — fashion as material things we own, wear, drive, what-have-you. He doesn’t necessarily glorify nor criticize our need for fashion; he explains it as part of our human condition.

Fashion is a social construct that maybe hasn’t always been around, but through the evolution of our existence, we have placed more and more importance on things, and once we delve into it, we only want more, only want to go bigger. Whether or not we can say this is a good thing, that’s a debate of its own; the point Jon Bellion tries to make in his song, I believe, is that fashion has become a powerful aspect in our society.

Piercy, Marge. He, She, and It. N.p.: Ballantine, 1991. Print.

Bellion, Jon. Fashion. Jon Bellion. Stephen Moccio, n.d. Youtube. Web.

I almost had to laugh last class period because of the topic of what is human, or what is humanity.  There are so many different ways to address this question.  If anyone has read, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, this novel is a perfect example of how this questioned is asked.  This novel is about androids that resemble humans but I think it works in the same context. Professor Ganyard stated that the novel, He, She, and It, had an emphasis on the idea of being human is to be educated.  The quote, “I believe even the poorest child should learn to read and write, should learn Hebrew.  The knowledge of the book can’t be hoarded by the children of the rich.”(1)  Another quote talking about novels, “That as a way to understand human interactions and responses. It’s a key to people’s interior life.” (2)  I feel like the second quote in particular is saying that the way to understanding people’s minds is educating themselves through reading.  And with that, to the first quote, education is important in all aspects of life, rich or poor, all people need to understand each other.  But just with this thought, is just the aspect of education take what it means to be human? If someone wasn’t able to be educated can they still possess humanity and be human? Or if something like an android is more intelligent than a less fortunate person, is the android more human than the other?

Roy Baty, in Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep (also pictured), looks like a real man, can talk and respond and is educated like a real man, but he is an android.  Is he human because he is educated? I don’t think this question of what is human or not cannot be answered by any one person.  But I personally think it takes a lot more than education to possess humanity. (I’m not saying that the book only talks about education makes a being a human, that’s just the topic I thought it was interesting to write about.)

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/RutgerHauerEscapeFromSobiborPublicDomain1.jpg

[1] Marge Piercy, He, She, and It (New York: Ballantine Books, 1991), 203.

[2] Marge Piercy, He, She, and It (New York: Ballantine Books, 1991), 117.

One speculation implicit in the reading of He She and It, is that one day we may all pledge our allegiance to a corporation instead of  a state or government entity.  This future phenomenon is sometimes referred to as the corporatocracy.[1]

[2]

In Piercy’s novel, the government has essentially collapsed into a powerless background noise.  It holds no real power and cannot even finish the construction of the infrastructure that it had begun prior.  “Parts of the Glop were under domes, but the system had not been completed before government stopped functioning.  There were still elections, every two years, but they were just highly bet-on sporting events.  All politicians did was run for office.”[3]  In this description, the role of the government is purely ceremonial.  It seems as though the tradition has been carried over by its own momentum but serves no exterior function.

In our contemporary society, we see many of the preliminary signs of corporate power usurping government power.  Some arguments can be made about corporations in the United States playing a more powerful role than traditional political institutions.  For example health insurance companies influencing the creation of universal healthcare; Apple, defending the people’s right to privacy against the FBI; Target implementing store policy towards transgender which then becomes the basis for new executive action from the white house; contracting companies such as Blackwater fighting Americas wars, with KBR and Haliburton providing support to conventional troops overseas, etcetera, etcetera.

Given the evidence that, at least beginning in the U.S., citizens may not only be employed by the corporation they work for, but someday also become citizens of a corporation instead of a country.  As corporations span multiple continents and trade becomes more and more globalized, is the state becoming irrelevant?  If so, would that be good or bad?  Could the world improve if corporate capitalism becomes hegemonic, and the institution of states becomes extinct, or would it be the beginning of a dystopian collapse of society?

[1] Vanbergen, Graham.  “The Rise of the Corporatocracy.” Via truepublica.org.uk.  Off-guardian.org.  https://off-guardian.org/2016/06/23/the-rise-of-the-corporatocracy/

[2] http://www.greanvillepost.com/2015/12/01/aspiring-to-rule-the-world-us-capital-and-the-battle-for-syria/

[3] Piercy, Marge.  He, She, and It.  (New York: Ballantine Books, 1991)

As mentioned in class there are some similarities between Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep and Marge Piercy’s He She and It. One of the things that stuck out to me though was the similarity of the worlds. Piercy shows in many places in the book that the outside world is dangerous due to climate change, but the part that I thought was interesting and resembled Dick’s book was the need for a sec skin to protect them from the harmful UV rays from the sun (Piercy 39). This idea of needing protection to go outside reminded me of Dick’s world, both books make the outside world seem uninhabitable and fear inducing. In his book people have to protect themselves from the nuclear wasteland that the world has become. In Dick’s book the outside does not cause death as fast as the raw would from Piercy’s book though. In Dick’s book the people who venture out for long periods of time just become specials, who are then not allowed to reproduce (Dick 8). This idea of mutations is also mirrored in Piercy’s book. When Yod and Shira go into the raw they come across some animals and Shira comments about the fact that the rabbits, in order to survive, had become nocturnal (Piercy 99).  In both books people and animals had to adapt to their new waste land of an environment.

Works Cited

media- http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/thehungergames/images/4/47/Radioactive_wasteland.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20130318230352

In Robinson’s novel, The Gold Coast, going back to nature seems to be a solution to a number of problems. As I discussed in a previous blog, the desire to escape is prevalent in the novel, by more characters than Jim. Exploring and going back to nature, in solitude, is a solution Tashi, Jim, and Tom tried out.

Being in nature is a huge contrast to what these characters experience in Orange County. It’s much more different and inspiring and refreshing than the fast-paced city life that consists of parties, drugs, and casual sex. Hiking in the woods and exploring by one’s self was a way for them to get unstuck from that constant loop.

I think today we are also stuck in a loop, much like the loop Robinson’s characters were stuck in, in Orange County. Not necessarily in a loop consumed by drugs and parties and a fast-paced life, but a loop that makes us so consumed with our jobs and daily routines that we forget that there’s more to life than those routines.

I feel that we, as a US population, spend so much time trying to make money, spending that money, and in front of phone and TV screens, so much so that we overlook simple, intangible pleasures in life. It’s amazing that we are alive and able to observe and explore our planet and universe, which I believe to be our main purpose here on Earth. I personally think we need to go back to nature and spend more time appreciating and exploring, like Robinson’s characters.

Robinson, Kim Stanley. The Gold Coast. New York: St. Martin’s, 1988. Print.

Pilot Mountain, NC. Personal photograph by author. 2016.

In He, She and It by Marge Piercy one of the first things that I noticed when I started reading was how Shira sounds like a completely normal woman, someone that we might see today, even though this book is set in a completely strange and unusual world to us. One of the things I liked about Shira is the relationships that she has. We start the book with her ending a relationship (with Josh, her husband), but we’re then shown that family is so important to her because of her son and her grandmother.

I was immediately drawn to the fact that the one major thing in her life is her son, Ari: “‘I’ve made a lot of mistakes,’ Shira said. ‘But Ari wasn’t one of them. He’s precious, Malkah, he’s life itself to me…'” (Piercy, 9). She loves Ari with her whole heart and I really liked to see that because we haven’t really read a story yet where the main character is completely concerned with her child, and it was a nice change for me to see that as a reader.

Like we talked about in class, Marge Piercy is obviously drawing a lot from her past relationships with her mother and her grandmother and putting it in the book. So right away, we know that Shira’s grandmother, Malkah, is an important figure in her life: “Although she was Shira’s grandmother, she had raised her.” (Piercy, 8). Obviously, being raised by Malkah means that Shira has a special connection with her because she’s really been Shira’s mother.

I’m really interested in both Shira’s relationship with her grandmother and her son, and at this point, it seems like both of those things are going to be an important part of the book overall.

In most recent section of “The Gold Coast” Jim is finally starting to hatch out of his figurative cocoon, where he was previously unable to identify his own purpose and talent in life.  What was it that Jim could do, what contribution could he provide that was unique and important?  He searched through several artistic endeavors only to produce mediocre works of post-modernist kitsch in his poetry, musical experiments, and teaching grammar.  But as a subtle nod to Jim’s crescendo of epiphany, the reader is smacked with the line “better get writing Jim.”[1]  This occurs right after a scene where Jim is excited about the idea that everything has a history, and the value of using that history to explain why things are the way they are.

As Jim Struggles to escape the clutches of Post-Modernism in OC culture, he refrains to himself, “Be a witness to what you see.  Be a witness to the life you live. To the Lives we live.  And why, why, why?  How did it get this way?”[2]  Jim continues this line of thought about the history of OC and the road system.  Jim is inspired by Albert Camus, and Athol Fugard, with the idea that “it was one’s job to be a witness to one’s times.  That was the writer’s crucial, central function.”[3]

As a student of history, I interpret these lines from the book as a call to action; a challenge to fulfill the duty to be a witness to one’s own life and time.  I find this an inspiring reminder of the importance of both maintaining and witnessing the past.  Failure and wandering are both events and states I am familiar with in my own life.  A desire and ability to write, to witness the past, are somewhat rejuvenated as worthy attributes by this story.  You could say “it really hits home.”

This challenge seems harmonious with the duty placed on the character Dilios, from the movie The 300, adapted from Frank Miller’s graphic novel.  Dilios is chosen the one to “remember” or witness what happened at Thermopylae.  And although Dilios is a fictional character, the message about the importance and ability of history is portrayed well.  The scene emphasizes the role of memory, and the role of the historian.  Incidentally Dilios is based on an actual soldier from the King Leonidas’ 300 named Aristodemus, from Herodotus Histories.[4]  The fact that we know about this story at all, is a result of the work of Herodotus, known as “the father of history.”

[5]

[1] Kim Stanley Robinson, “The Gold Coast,” (New York: Tom Doherty Associates, 1988), 269

[2] Kim Stanley Robinson, “The Gold Coast,” (New York: Tom Doherty Associates, 1988), 261

[3] Kim Stanley Robinson, “The Gold Coast,” (New York: Tom Doherty Associates, 1988), 259

[4]  Herodotus, Histories, 7.201-233, translation by G.C. Macaulay, with adaptations.   http://www.livius.org/sources/content/herodotus/herodotus-on-thermopylae/

[5] 300 Movie Clip – Remember Us(2006)HD.  Movie clips, May 26 2011.  Movie https://youtu.be/nHByIEUb37Y

Community is an interesting aspect in The Gold Coast by Kim Stanley Robinson. We talked about this in class for a little bit and it was something that interested me.

Community is an aspect that has been in a few of the books we’ve read (like Island by Aldous Huxley), but the community in this book feels different from Island’s. Jim’s community seems more like something that we would have today. For instance, I would definitely say that the community in my life is made up of my close friends and family. Like me, Jim’s community is a close group of friends that he spends the majority of his time with and he occasionally has dinner with his mother and father: “They sit down to dinner, Lucy says grace, they eat” (Robinson, 23).

The difference to me from Pala’s community is that Jim is able to choose who he spends his time with, whereas on Pala, while there was the same type of choice, they still live on the same island and it doesn’t seem like they would be able to get away from certain people unless they really wanted to.

An interesting aspect of Jim’s community is his allies, which is just another word for girlfriend or boyfriend “Virginia, Arthur Bastanchury’s ally until a couple months ago…” (Robinson 30). I’m not sure they are actually part of his community or if they just receive an honorary place among his friends and family while they’re seeing each other. In any case, they’re still an interesting aspect of Jim’s life.

For all of Jim’s faults, he does seem like he surrounds himself with some good people (Abe and Tashi to name a few), and I think it’s going to be these people that help Jim change eventually. Like what we talked about in class, the community (his friends and family) are a way for Jim to find meaning in his life.

I thought this song by the White Strips  was somewhat fitting for my topic of the day.

Several passages in The Gold Coast indicate a subtle theme of human detachment.  The public in general, as well as several specific characters in the book, are detached from the reality of the world around them, from each other, and from a meaningful existence.

As Jim and Arthur go around the mall posting anti-war posters, Jim makes a remark about how most people are “sleepwalkers,” with Arthur noting how they just go on acting functioning but not really thinking about what it is they are doing.  In particular he points out the lack of attention to reading, and contrasts this with the attention on media (such as sex comedy videos)[1], nodding towards the fact that one is an intellectual activity and the other figuratively can be done unconsciously.

The general public are also detached from the war, as they go on oblivious to carnage being caused for their sake, instigated by the politicians and the military industrial complex.  “Look at these sleepwalkers, zombieing around in some kind of L-5 toybox… I mean, this is our country!  This is it, from sea to shining sea, some kind of brain mortuary! While the rest of the world is a real mortuary.  The world is falling apart and we devote ourselves to making weapons so we can take more of it over!”[2]  Here the leadership of the government are also so detached they fail to recognize that they are destroying the world by trying to conquer it, leaving nothing of value to gain by their actions.

Detachment from a life of meaningful endeavor is evident as Arthur confronts Jim about his own life, “You don’t give a shit about your jobs.  So you drift along being ace culturevulture and wondering what it’s all about… Don’t you believe in anything?”[3]  Like many Americans, Jim spends his time working at a job he hates, to earn money which is not enough to make him happy, while distracting himself with other activities in his off time to forget about being unfulfilled in life.  He is detached from himself.

Bureaucratic leadership are detached from their employees, and fail to treat them as human beings.  Lemon, Dennis’s boss for example: “Lemon’s been out of engineering so long that little matters like weight or voltage or performance reliability don’t mean anything to him anymore.  Those are things for others to worry about.  For him it’s cost-effectiveness, schedules, the team’s momentum, its look.  He’s the team’s fearless leader, the little furor of this little tin reich.”[4]  Here Lemon is so far removed even from what it is his business does.  He no longer comprehends or considers the task that is to be done.  He merely enforces requirements of the military, and the preferences of the corporate leaders which will be most profitable.  His employees are not even treated as human, but things to be manipulated in order to produce the optimum results for the corporation.

[5]

Selected References

[1] Kim Stanley Robinson, “The Gold Coast,” (New York: Tom Doherty Associates, 1988), 40

[2] Kim Stanley Robinson, “The Gold Coast,” (New York: Tom Doherty Associates, 1988), 41

[3] Ibid

[4] Ibid, 55

[5] Rate a Quote.com, [from Philip K. Dick, “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sleep,” (New York: Ballantine Books, 1968)]  http://www.rateaquote.com/q/a-human-being-without-proper-empathy-feeling-is-same-as-android-built-as-to-lack-it-either-by-design-mistake-we-mean-basically-someone-who-does-philip-k-dick-32705/

In The Gold Coast Jim and his more politically active friend Arthur talk about the history of Orange County, and Arthur dramatically says “Their efforts were wasted!” (42). This point has really stuck with me. It keeps nagging at me, because I do not think Arthur was right. He continues to go on and explain that their efforts at forming a better society were wasted, because no one bothered to do anything about them. This bothers me, because it just seems wrong and over simplified. History builds upon itself and one part of the past cannot just be simply a waste. Something is always learned out of failures or successes. It seems so alien to me that someone would just think that one part of past history would just be a waste. Without the failures in history the successes don’t really matter. Arthur at the same time seems to be making the argument that the political movement he is following is better just because they are actively doing something now. I wonder if he would think his actions were a waste ten to twenty years down the road, or if his perspective would have changed.

Sources

Robinson, Kim Stanley. The Gold Coast. New York, Tom Doherty Associates, Inc., 1988

Media- http://floridasportschatter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/wasted-effort.jpg

An interesting topic that was touched on during the discussion of The Gold Coast was the idea of vanity. The theme is present in the sexual scene in which Jim and Virginia cannot even bring themselves to have sex without the presence of technology, they feel the need to record themselves. This can be viewed as narcissistic and vanity-focused. This can also be viewed as a possible reflection of the times, also discussed in class. A book that was written and published in the 80’s, especially one that seems to be serving as a possible criticism of the times, would make sense to have themes of vanity, consumerism and self-serving actions.

While these themes were prevalent at the time of this writing, the idea of vanity and narcissism is not one that is absent in current society. Among celebrities and well-known people in today’s society, a poster child for these themes is Kanye West. I thought of him during the discussions today. Among many other fitting traits that would reach far beyond the limitations of this blog if fully listed, he’s a man who speaks of his own creative genius often, believes he’s the biggest “rock star” in the world, and sells signature Adidas shoes that reach prices of over $1000. Despite his sometimes deplorable behavior, he is nonetheless a respected and accomplished musician. He is also aware of his behavior, and it is reflected in some of his music. One song in which this theme is discussed is “Real Friends” from his 2016 album The Life of Pablo. The song features parts in which he notices his busy schedule, his values, and his status as one who has lots of money are all aspects of his lifestyle that get in the way of his relationship with the ones he cares about most, particularly friends and family who were there before the riches came. It’s a self-aware song, one that even contrasts some of the themes within the album (the usual vanity and narcissistic themes of his celebrity persona). He speaks of being at family parties for only 15 minutes and then leaving, not knowing anything about his friends’ children, and having to deal with family members that want money out of him. I felt it fitting, as West is criticizing his own lifestyle, noticing its flaws and downfall. Considering the context of the class, Robinson seems to be doing the same type of criticism of that lifestyle.

Song and lyrics are included.

http://genius.com/8488925

The Gold Coast by Kim Stanley Robinson is a weird book (like many of these books we’ve been reading), but it’s still very interesting because it’s set not very far into our future and is only a possible way for how our future could have gone.

One of the things that are standing out for me right now is the range of characters that we’ve been introduced to. We have Jim, Dennis, and Abe to only name a few. Dennis and Jim are father and son and their relationship already doesn’t seem very good, “Now the kid’s gotten Lucy upset too, and he doesn’t like arguing with his son and having him tear off with that look of hurt resentment on his face: who would? But what can you do?” (Robinson 89). It’s clear that both Jim and Dennis argue often, but that Dennis doesn’t necessarily want to. He wants to have a good relationship with Jim; it’s just that Jim isn’t living up to his standards so he’s having a hard time with it.

Abe, so far, is my favorite character, even though we’ve only seen him a little bit. As far as I can tell he’s something like an EMT, but before that he fought in one of the many wars going on and he’s suffering from PTSD: “He’s putting his arm around Inez when something—the give of soft flesh?—causes the image of the injured woman to strike him. Pulled from the wreck, bent, patched, braced, bloody—Fuck” (Robinson, 54). It’s pretty clear that Abe is dealing with the aftereffects of the accident he dealt with during work, but I think that the accident is probably just piling onto everything else he saw when he fought during the war.

Why is there a war between the worlds and the outer satellites?

There’s no concept of scarcity in the book. There’s no production of physical necessities mentioned. The war against Earth and Mars is made to look like aggressors, trying to keep their colonies for the sake of having colonies, where the outer satellites are just the poor victims that need to be set free. Lawrence berates Bron, saying “The people who did that to them, busily doing what must be done for the survival of the species, and so efficiently” (Delany 217).

What survival struggle? Triton does not seem to produce any agricultural product, and most certainly doesn’t generate taxes. If Earth is the agricultural supplier, it might be that it attempted to bump up the prices on food exports. The satellites, in return, would demand this food for a lower, more reasonable price. It would’ve been a sympathetic cause to the war starting, to force Earth to send the essential food. That, or the satellites attacked for control of the food production on Earth, a nastier cause. Either way, it doesn’t make much sense for the worlds to have started the war.

It’s also brought up that Triton was the last satellite to join the war (Delany 217). Triton appears to be a place of plenty; one can get what one wants, so long as they try (Delany 104). It’s possible that the outer satellites have their own means of production, if not on Triton itself. This opens up reason that Earth/Mars might’ve been trying to control that production, and Triton was merely supporting its satellite brethren. In this way, their reluctant involvement might have been completely just. They could’ve been the victims. Boo-hoo.

But is that probable? Earth and Mars have their fair share of problems, but consider: Triton (and presumably the other satellites) is a place where anyone can get what they want/need at any time. Kids who always get what they want turn into spoiled brats that throw tantrums every time they don’t get their every whim fulfilled. Would the society of Triton, used to having all it needs, truly not be jealous of one another’s earned luxuries? Would they be so inclined as to earn what they want if they’re already given what they need?

Works Cited

Delany, Samuel R. Trouble on Triton. Wesleyan University, 1976.

Hans. n.d., photograph, Pixabay. Web.

So I ended last week with stating that Bron is the heterotopian element in the novel. Part reason behind it was because of his chronic lying. Now, with the novel concluded, I will say that Bron is not only a chronic liar, but also ignorant to the reason(s) why (s)he is. Bron continues his insistent complaining throughout the novel. (S)he comes up with the line “we need that particular male aloneness, if only for the ingenuity it breeds” (Delany 216). This then sends Lawrence, who generally tried to support Bron through the novel into a frenzy, “‘You’re a fool,’ Lawrence said, suddenly and hoarsely” (Delany 216) when referring to Alfred lying dead in his collapsed room. Bron then goes off and gets a sex change (male to female), ignoring the loss of friends (that he ignored anyway) as he goes. He eventually meets up with Audri. Audri is the only character that falls into Bron’s “type”, which makes the reader all the more frustrated when he says no. He is even lying in this scene too. The better part is he even questions himself, but does it anyway, “Why did I lie to Audri? I like Audri!”(Delany 272). And then at the end the of the novel, he attempts to justify he lying with “she was less truthful as a woman then she had been as a man […] one more then I need a man to do – to tell the truth for me!” (Delany 277). And so here Bron is, the person who lied through the whole novel, and (s)he has this chance to understand why (s)he lies. There might still be hope for him/her, but shatters it completely by simply believing that Bron is incapable of being at fault. After all, the world(s?) revolve around him.

Delany, Samuel R. Trouble on Triton: An Ambiguous Heterotopia. Middletown, CT: Wesleyan UP, 1996. Print.

Picture: http://www.picturequotes.com/i-cant-lose-weight-must-be-my-trainers-fault-quote-496079

*Note* Hastily written

In my opinion I do not think even after the end of the book that Bron’s character could be happy. Bron only changes to becoming a female to save the type of female he thinks is ideal, but in doing so he forgets that he cannot flip characteristics and personality traits as easily as he did gender. As shown in the book Bron wants to be a female that feels like she needs to be saved, so that his vision of the ideal man can come and save her (215). Bron seems to think that just by becoming physically female he will be suddenly gifted with a female mind with his male memories. He does not seem to listen to the therapists at all.

An example of him not listening to his therapist is when he goes into, what seems like, a red light district to try and catch a perfect man he cannot over come himself and focus on what he is doing. Bron seems so back and forth on what he actually wants and then seems to settle on Sam just because he was something familiar (259). I think because of Bron’s own indecisiveness and self absorption he will not reach the realization that he is a bad person and even goes back on his own original desires and mission. Even after the moments where he seems to start to reach a higher consciousness he fights it. As shown in the last few pages Bron starts to attack his old self in a dream, which could mean that he was finally starting to realize how stupid he had been. But before he could continue with that thought he jumps back to his original reasoning for becoming female and back to his pessimistic ways. It is sad that the Spike points out the fact that Bron seems to not want to solve his problems and that the last few words Delany chooses to write are “sure would never come” (277). I feel like this shows that even when happiness is right in front of Bron’s face he still will not grasp it.

Delany, Samuel R. Trouble on Triton. Wesleyan University, 1976.

media- https://rejectreality101.com/tag/quote-of-the-day-2/

The novel Trouble on Triton by Samuel R. Delany has many interesting characters. However, the main character is Bron Helstrom. Most of us can agree that Bron is not our favorite person in this book. He is very self-absorbed and selfish, and yet he still has people that consider him a friend. These people are not people that Bron actively sought out, instead most of them like Bron for some reason and stick with him. It reaches a point, however, when Bron’s selfish and absorbed attitude pushes away the only people that even like him. The friends that Bron starts out with in the beginning of the book slowly dwindle away by the end. Bron does not even really like any of them, except for maybe the Spike, who we know, he’s obsessed with: “Depressed and wondering if he’d ever see her again, he fell asleep.” (Delany 43).  Here Bron can’t stop thinking about the Spike, but even after he starts a relationship with her, he loses her too because of his attitude.

Eventually even Lawrence, the one person who seemed to stick by Bron through most of the novel, gets fed up with him, telling him, “’You’re a fool,’ Lawrence said, suddenly and hoarsely. ‘And I’m tired. I’m tired of it, that’s all there is. I’m tired.’” (Delany 216). Lawrence has reached his tipping point. It doesn’t matter that he’s attracted to Bron and probably even liked him as a person, he’s done with Bron and all his selfishness.

Bron somehow doesn’t even realize that all this is his fault. He’s still only cares about himself that he doesn’t realize that he’s lost everyone and it’s his fault.

Works Cited:

Delany, Samuel R. Trouble on Triton: An Ambiguous Heterotopia. Middletown, CT: Wesleyan UP, 1996. Print.

Reading this section of Trouble on Triton I felt kind of bad for Bron when he did all of that work to take the Spike out and he told her that he loved her and she did not reciprocate those same feelings back.  But further looking into it should I have felt bad for him? He’s very self-absorbed and further has a sex change in order to find what he needed.  In some ways I think he is struggling so much to be happy that he is not letting himself be happy.  We talked about in class also where he might be seen as a hero for self-sacrificing himself to be one more of the “dying” females.  I still think it’s him being self-absorbed and only thinking about what could benefit him.  So talking about the sex change conversation in class and looking back on page 176 and forward, (when he’s sad about the Spike) I feel less and less bad for him.  At one point I thought about, is Bron having this change done so that he will finally be happy? Sometimes I would like to say maybe, but his reasoning is so self-centered I question if he’s actually going to be happy after this.  On page 233, being out to dinner with Lawrence, it was pleasanter than any meal Bron had on Earth.  So maybe without knowing he will be happier this way.

Photo- https://pixabay.com/p-297195/?no_redirect

Delany, Samuel R. Trouble on Triton. Wesleyan University, 1976.

Ganyard, Clif. Lecture. University of Wisconsin Green Bay, 11 Oct. 2016, Green Bay, WI.

In sharp contrast to Huxley and in minor contrast to Russ, Delany’s heterotopia seems to lack nature. Not only does the book not feature stuff we associate with nature, but the setting of the book is artificial.

There’s artificial gravity and an artificial sky. Is the society of Triton only created in artifice? Even people’s outward appearance can be adjusted at any time to whatever one chooses.

No one gets to see the stars. Instead, there’s a big ol’ sensory shield up in the sky (Delany 1). Why? So the people don’t have to witness the reality of the beautiful, awesome night sky? An artificial ever-day to keep the people from going mad by *always* seeing the stars? Perhaps it even serves as to control the people’s sense of time–no sunrise, no sunset, falsified view of Neptune. We get a brief glimpse of what Triton is naturally like with a blip in  the sensory shield and a brief cut to gravity (Delany 31).

According to the April 2015 Ecosystem Services journal, “There is a large and growing body of literature that demonstrates that contact with nature (broadly defined in the introduction and including urban green space, parks, forests, etc.) can lead to measurable psychological and physiological health benefits, as well as numerous other positive effects.” Natural features help, in lack on Triton, help people grow mentally. Plant life doesn’t get mentioned, though it could be merely because the book takes place in an urban environment.

Nonetheless, there is yet the question of why Delany chooses not to feature any natural elements on Triton. Is nature unnecessary? Even if science became so advanced that the physical functions of nature (e.g. food and air production) can be replaced, it would have a negative psychological impact on people, contrary to what the book displays.

Works Cited:

Delany, Samuel R. Trouble on Triton. Wesleyan University, 1976.

ForestWander. Forest Night Sky Spruce Trees Stars. 5 July 2010, photograph. WikiMedia Commons.

Sandifier, Paul A. et al. “Exploring connections among nature, biodiversity, ecosystem services, and human health                             and well-being: Opportunities to enhance health and biodiversity conservation.” Ecosystem Services, vol. 12, April 2015,

pp. 1-15, http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212041614001648. Accessed 10 Oct. 2016.

Author’s aside: I’m a little miffed that there’s no one discussing the war aspect of the book with a post titled “Attack on Triton.”

I was very intrigued by Delany’s use of language in this book and how he basically challenges the way our brain thinks through the language that he uses. An example of this is the name Brian Sanders in the book, which is the name of a female character. In our society, the name Brian has a male connotation to it, and I found myself having to make the conscious effort to remind myself that when the book referred to Brian, it was referring to a woman character. The play on language in that example shows just how deeply language affects our thinking and our brain processes.

This is an aspect about the words we use in our everyday interactions that is overlooked by many. The idea that language drastically affects the way we think is one that should be more consciously focused on, due to the magnitude of its impact. In my Ethical Theory class, we are discussing the idea of happiness. The book we are reading cites a tribe from the Amazon, the Piraha, who were studied for an extended period of time. It’s described that they never seemed to be overly concerned about much. They lived in a bare bones, hunter-gatherer society. Linguist Daniel Everett wrote in his book Don’t Sleep, There Are Snakes, “I have never heard a Piraha say that he or she is worried. In fact, as far as I can tell, the Pirahas have no word for ‘worry’ in their language.” While this is just one example, there are many other examples of languages that don’t even have words for certain negative emotions. If one doesn’t have a word for a certain emotion such as worry for example, I would venture to say that it begins to be difficult to experience such an emotion (though that’s likely not universal, as many people feel emotions that they can’t put into words). It’s a testament to how powerful language can be.

One of my favorite modern day philosophers, Jason Silva, has a number of YouTube videos that speak on this idea of how language can affect us in various ways. Here’s one of my favorites.

Bron’s character in Trouble on Triton in the beginning seems to be the kind of person who should be happy. He is well liked by others as Delany writes on page 40 in the book, “Yet he still considered Alfred his friend, because Alfred, like all his others had come to him.” Bron also is at a fairly good job that he seems to do well at when he concentrates, for example he finally figures out the day star problem (117). Bron still though even with what would seem like a good life is unhappy, as he admits to the Spike on page 98. I think that Bron is his own problem and that he keeps himself unhappy. Through out the first half of the novel he purposefully keeps people from being close to him. He doesn’t become close friends with anyone he lives with by his choice he seems to alienate Sam and Lawrence. Bron seems so wrapped up in his own past that he cannot move forward and get to know people. I did not notice how rooted in the past he was until the dialog between him and Sam where Sam admits that the first time he heard about Bron and prostitution he was shocked, but then Sam goes and also points out that the shock value wears off after being told multiple times (127).

The way that Bron is absorbed in himself reminds me of a character from Futurama, Captain Zapp Brannigan. Both characters admit that they are unhappy but are too self absorbed to really change anything. Another interesting parallel between the two characters is that they are both so overconfident in themselves that they do not read others correctly. An example for Bron is his problem with Miriamne, he immediately wants to sleep with her, but completely misses the fact that she does not reciprocate the feeling. Zapp in the show becomes infatuated with another female character Leela who again does not reciprocate the feeling in any way. Both characters could have probably saved themselves some heartache by actually paying attention to their surroundings.

Sources

Delany, Samuel R. Trouble on Triton. Middleton: Wesleyan University Press, 1976. Print.

https://theinfosphere.org/Zapp_Brannigan

Samuel R. Delany’s Trouble on Triton creates a utopian society on the moon of Triton. For a really quick definition, heterotopia ” is where things are different — that is, a collection whose members have few or no intelligible connections with one another” (qtd. in Heterotopia(space)). Triton, for the most part, is a relatively utopian set up. Everyone is given basic necessities such as food, medicine, education, etc. Now where does the heterotopia exist? Well Bron Helstorm (Note the last name) himself is the heterotopia. Bron starts off in the novel declaring that he is “a reasonably happy man” (Delany 1). As the novel progresses, its clear that A. that’s not true, and B. He is a unreliable narrator. He starts the novel with a lie, and continues to lie by self-justifying it. Triton offers a near limitless realm of possibilities to peruse happiness or purpose, Bron just doesn’t fit in. In Triton, the majority of people live in co-ops, or communes. These people usually share interests with one and other, but Bron has issues with his. Lawrence is totally into him but Bron doesn’t want that (Delany 76). He has a love interest in The Spike, who he goes on a walk with, and does nothing but complain about his problems. Bron’s self-centered attitude is what makes him the heterotopian element. He doesn’t fit in with society because he wants it to revolve around him.

* Found source through –> “Heterotopia (space).” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 07 Oct. 2016.

In Samuel R. Delany’s book Trouble on Triton there doesn’t seem to be many similarities to our world. Things are still familiar to us as readers, but overall most things are practically alien to us. One of the things that I thought was different and interesting was the naming situation for the characters. We touched on this in class and I thought some of the points different people were bringing up were thoughtful and fascinating.

In this different world that Delany has created, some people are able to choose their own name or their name is taken from their parents’ last name (so their parents’ last name becomes their first name).

In the Spike’s case, her name was given to her by her friends, “My friends call me the Spike,” (Delany 18). This could be considered like a nick name that we might give to family or friends.

For the Spike, this is almost like a stage name for her, “But the Spike, at any rate, is quite real. I’ve always wanted to see one of her productions,” (Delany 22). We do see this today in our world with various actors or other performers that change their name when they get into acting or singing. For example, Lady Gaga, obviously, isn’t the singer’s real name, but it’s the name that she uses now as a performer. In a similar way to Lady Gaga, the Spike has a name for acting. In a way, she chose her own identity when she took on the name. She chose who she wanted to be through her name.

Works Cited:

Delany, Samuel R. Trouble on Triton: An Ambiguous Heterotopia. Middletown, CT: Wesleyan UP, 1996. Print.

An important feature of things like sexuality, race, and gender is that these are biological features, attributes, that are assigned genetically without consent or control of the individual.  No one has the opportunity to choose a race, gender, or sexual orientation.  Whichever combination of these features are assigned, are done so without purposeful intent, and has more in common with a random cosmic assignment.  An individual has as much control over their genetic inheritance, as they do the number of petals on a dandelion.

If one has any notion of free will, and desires to consider themselves in any way involved in their own identity, then random biological characteristics would be a counterintuitive platform to use as a definition of the true self.  If one believes that identity is just something set before them which they must passively accept and accommodate, then by all means, they are nothing more than the witness to a set of determined evolutionary events.  If the physical body, the physical brain, the psychological characteristics are all a person is, then a description of their flesh and their base instinctual desires would be a suitable definition of them as an individual.

However, if one admits that there is more to the concept of self; one acknowledges that there are aspects beyond biological endowment that can account for the shaping of an identity, and that these things have more to do with individual choice. Consequently then, it is these aspects which one ought to draw the true source of identity from.

Therefore it may be argued that identity is not formed as a result of biological inheritance, but in spite of it.  Identity goes beyond the shape and color of a pile of flesh and its basic pre-programmed desires of a physical body.  Identity ought to focus much more on aspects and thoughts that a person can control, because it is these thoughts that the individual generates with intentionality, and is therefore responsible for.  Identity should be the actions that a person does perform in spite of biological limitations, not because of them, for it is these actions that a person is responsible for.

Wait!  Don’t these physical and psychological characteristics count for anything?  After all, they effect the lens through which one experiences the world.  This point is valid, and the intent of this argument is not to minimize that effect.  The way a man/woman, gay/straight, or various skin pigmented persons experience the world will vary and must be taken into account, and will forever be a part of them.  However, to limit ones identity to only these aspects is to, again, reduce individual identity to an inheritance over which one has no claim to responsibility.

In a way the “sexual refixation” technology disconnects the connection between identity and sexuality, but at the same time shows how irrelevant sexuality is to one’s true identity.  The need and innovation of the sexual refixation operation, the ease of gender reassignment and plastic surgery on Tritan in the novel illustrates that these physical characteristics are obstacles to be negotiated – limitations placed upon us as humans – and should not be the major focus of our lives.[i]

In our world it is much more difficult to overcome physical and psychological limitations.  However, in judging the identity of the self and others, less energy and attention focused on these features, would indicate a trajectory of progress.  This would have the effect of improving relations throughout the global community, as well as freeing up intellectual, political, and economic potential, to be used towards human progress and more important issues; for we are more than just biological machines.[ii]

[i]Delany, Samuel R.  Trouble on Tritan.  (Middleton: Wesleyan University Press, 1976)

[ii] Fritz Kahn, “Der Mensch als Industriepalast,” (http://sitbackrelaxenjoytheride.blogspot.com/2013/11/man-machine.html

Jael has two introductions. Once in part 2, and again in part 8. It’s exactly the same in both places, with two major differences. The first one includes “You’ll meet me later” (19) and lets on she’s not any of the characters we’ve met so far. This serves primarily to foreshadow Jael, who we indeed meet later. However, it does raise the question: why did Russ decide to introduce her there? Is Jael then present in the shadows  throughout the whole book?

In part 8, the main difference is that “you’re not all there” is not italicized (157). What is so important about that phrase? One thing to consider is that particular phrase could imply two things. One is that she’s literally not present–a ghost of sorts. Another possibility is that she is crazy; her mind isn’t all there. We are left to interpret this cryptic message.

Another difference is, in the part 8 passage, the phrase “which I’ll go into a little later” (157). That, and “You’ll meet me later,” strongly imply that Jael is well aware of the reader, more clearly than any other character. Not only is she aware of the reader, but she is aware of the book’s structure. This is an important part of her character–she hops timelines as part of her job. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that she knows about the reality we live in as readers. Ergo, Russ’s multiverse includes ours–our universe is one of many that could’ve been accessed in the book.

In fact, this means Jael did visit our reality, long enough to help Russ write her book in some capacity. When “you’re not all there” is presented part 8, it could also be to the readers–we’re not there with her.

Works Cited:

Giuliamar. Untitled. n.d. https://pixabay.com/en/face-cat-woman-eye-animal-girl-122690/. Accessed October 2016.

Russ, Joanna. The Female Man. Beacon, 1975

At first glance, Jeannine doesn’t seem to be very bright. She’s simple. She spends her days tidying the apartment, caring for her cat (and Cal), and then goes to work at the library. The Depression leaves her with little money, but she dresses with as much style she can afford. Her head is full of stories about things from mermaids to murder mysteries- alternate, fantastical realities to liven her otherwise mundane life. The biggest aspirations in her life are to get married (to someone, anyone) and have children. But, Jael says Jeannine “is potentially the most intelligent of [them] all” (162). Jeannine doesn’t argue with what she’s told to do and how she’s told to act. She always listens to what the men have to say. She knows it’s just easier to accept what they tell her; even if she does argue, they’re just going to tell her to shut up and that she’s just a dumb girl (or bitch, depending on the situation) anyways. Cal’s arguing and whining (mostly whining) is a prime example of life being easier if you agree. It’s just easier to save her breath. Because of this, many people underestimate Jeannine. They don’t realize that just because she doesn’t say anything, doesn’t mean she has nothing to say.

Going back to her day-to-day life, Jeannine spends most  of the day cleaning. “She bends and bends,” (106). Although the initial reading of this line suggests she is bending to pick things up and clean. But Jeannine bends more than that; she bends to Cal’s every whim, to her family’s, and to society’s. Toward the end of the novel, we can see she’s had enough bending. Joanna says that Jeannine sleeps  in late, doesn’t clean until it really bothers her, and even plays with her food. Jeannine is more than accepting, downright eager, when Jael asks her about join the war against men. She bent so much that she finally snapped. She got sick of the easy way out and is reclaiming her life back.

Source: Google Images

The Female Man by Joanna Russ was a difficult book to understand and to read. There’s a lot going on in the book, with several characters’ point of view throughout. That being said, there were interesting aspects that Russ was writing about. The biggest (for me) was the idea that there were several worlds, not just one. In these worlds, live the main characters. These characters are similar in some ways, but are mostly very different.

Janet grew up in a world full of only women. She’s confident, happy, and independent. “I didn’t see things very well, as first off I got behind the closet door, but I saw him rush her (Janet) and I saw her flip him; he got up again and again she deflected him, this time into the wall…” (Russ 47). There are many examples of Janet throughout the book, but I thought this one showed her attitude very well. She’s not willing to take any nonsense from men or anybody.

Then we have Joanna who lives in our world in 1969. Like we talked about in class, she seems to be just going with the flow of things. She’s not making an effort to make a difference.

Jeannine lives in an alternate version of our world, set in 1969 too. This world never had World War II so the Great Depression is going on. Without the war giving women opportunities to start to carve a different path for themselves, Jeannine is expected to be meek around men, to get married and start a family. “I do (thought Jeannine, looking in the precious full-length mirror inexplicably left by the previous tenant on the back of the closet door) I do look a little like…if I tilt my face. Oh! Cal will be SO—MAD—” (Russ 16). Jeannine is concerned with what Cal (and other men) think of her.

Lastly, there’s Jael who lives in a possible early version of Whileaway. In this world, men and women are at war with each other. She’s a fairly cold women who is ready to kill for what she wants.

These women are a product of their worlds. But Russ is also showing us different types of women, almost like she’s giving us options of who we (women) can be. She’s showing us that we can be the change for the better in our own world; we can be the start (or continuation) of changing how women are viewed and treated.

In the reading, “Houston, Houston, Do You Read?” I was personally very attached to the presence of gender roles that emerged as a seemingly central theme to the story. In particular, I felt that the presence of excessive masculinity within the three male characters of the story was accurately representative of, not only some men of the time, but some men from the current day and age that we live in. While it is far from the norm of the times, the excessive nature of the theme was still purposeful (and not completely inaccurate in its nature) for the sake of symbolism.

The symbolism that seemed to come through the story, within my own interpretation, was one that criticizes the presence of gender roles. The women that the men encounter, and eventually interact with, are from a time when they successfully carry on a reasonably happy and pleasant existence without men on the planet. They live in a completely different social structure than our own, with the population mostly consisting of clones of 11,000 different genotypes. Outside of the most obvious expressions of the difference in societal structure that is discussed throughout the bulk of the short story, one of the more evident telling points that shows a difference between the worlds that the two separate parties are respectively occupying is the quote that Andy/Kay says in response to Connie asking how her face is after Bud punched her. She replies “I felt it! I felt physical anger, I wanted to hit him. Woo-ee!” (Tiptree, 217).  The observation she makes upon experiencing the sensation of anger makes it appear as if it is some mythological, non-existent experience that is only spoken of in their time. It’s as if it doesn’t even exist in this future world of reconstructed societal structure, occupied by all women, and logically, complimented by the absence of masculinity/gender roles.

It appears that the author wants to say that we could possibly live in a harmonious world/future if the presence of gender roles disappears. In this story, the author creatively and symbolically makes this statement, with the world that the women occupy representing a world/future that doesn’t contain the presence of these sometimes poisonous and non-productive gender roles. Personally, I’d have to agree with it. While the world would need much more overhauling to create complete harmony and utopia than simply the absence of gender roles, the author’s point is still valid. Gender roles in this day and age are simply non-productive social constructs that limit our perception of what certain genders should act like. Much of the ideas about gender roles are continued to be forwarded in media through inaccurate misrepresentation of masculinity and femininity in advertising, movies, and television.  This presence in media keeps the idea of gender roles moving forward.

Tiptree, James, and Joanna Russ. Houston, Houston, Do You Read? New York: T. Doherty, 1989. Print.

In The Female Man by Joanna Russ she describes four different main characters Janet, Jeannine, Joanna, and Jael. The four women are set in different times and with personalities that match the times. I think that these different personalities are different people. There are multiple instances where Janet, I feel, is a separate person. In the chapter of Part Three the Russ talks about creating the character of Janet, but I do not think the she is talking as Joanna. I think that Russ is talking about herself creating Janet. If the passage had the name changed to Joanna or Jeannine or even if the chapter had been removed the book would have still made sense. Russ shows that they are different people in multiple places. Russ takes time through Part One and Two to describe Janet’s experiences coming to earth and getting interviewed by a man (Russ 9-11). Russ also shows how they are different people by giving Janet a thorough  background. Russ shows that Janet was the only one who could come back in time, because she was the only one who was available (Russ 22). I have a feeling that as we read on in the book that the four characters are going to show their individual traits.

Joanna Russ. The Female Man. Boston: Beacon, 1986. Print.

Houston, Houston do you read? by James Tiptree Jr. was an interesting story to read. This short story starts with three men, who don’t really seem that bad at first. As the story progresses, we come to find out that these men are actually awful human beings. The story suggests that perhaps all men are like this deep down, or at the very least, that all have these urges.
When it’s suggested that these three men who have been in space for a very long time won’t be able to control themselves, the women on the other ship say: “Margo, they’re human beings,” (Tiptree). These women are saying that these men are just like them: human.

On the other hand, I also think that maybe Tiptree is trying to show us how some women see men. Men can be terrifying from some women’s point of view. “Judy gives a cry, begins to struggle futilely,” (Tiptree). The scene in the story of Judy’s attempted rape by Bud shows us just how scary some men can be. The men in the story morph from nice enough men into horrific rapists. This is a fear that women might not even really think about, but this story brings that fear to life.

I think this story shows a fear that many women have faced or will face. It’s a real fear that women carry with them on their day to day lives. However, I think that this story really exaggerates this view of men. Men and women aren’t that different. What is missing in this story is respect for other people. The future looks bleak from this story’s point of view, especially if that respect of human life is missing.

Works Cited:

Tiptree, James. Houston, Houston, Do You Read? New York: T. Doherty, 1989. Print.

In “Island” Aldous Huxley presents commentary on the nature of consciousness in relation to the physical body, and the potential for chemically induced manipulation of the increase and decrease of awareness of one’s true consciousness.¹

The characters Dr. Robert, Will, and Murugan are discussing the effects of the moksha-medicine, and its potential to expand consciousness.  Huxley uses the character Dr. Robert to provide a peek into his ideology.  Dr. Robert “I say that the moksha-medicine does something to the silent areas of the brain which opens some kind of neurological sluice and so allows a larger volume of mind with a large ‘M’ to flow into your mind with a small ‘m.’”²

The distinction between the mind with “large M” and “small m,” are in reference to the philosophical concept of mind-body dualism.  In dualism – specifically substance dualism, or Cartesian Dualism, the physical brain is considered a separate entity from the actual presence of consciousness.  However, the presence of consciousness is manifested through an interaction between the non-physical mind, and the physical brain.  In other words, the physical brain is insufficient to produce consciousness alone, and is a conduit through which the non-physical mind expresses itself.³  In the words of Dr. Robert, “You’re assuming…the brain produces consciousness.  I’m assuming that is transmits consciousness.”⁴

This scene described in Island reflects Huxley’s beliefs on the mind and consciousness as further expanded on in his “The Doors of Perception.”  Huxley believes that the true consciousness of a person is not contained within the brain, but is channeled through the brain.  He labels the mind as “reductionist” and not productive of consciousness.⁵  So in other words, our actual awareness and consciousness of true self is restricted by the brain preventing total awareness of ourselves and the rest of the world.  His idea, reflected in the comments by Dr. Roberts in Island, is that there is a way to expand and channel one’s authentic latent consciousness through this experience with moksha-medicine.

1. Huxley, Aldous, “Island,” (New York: Harper Collins, 1962), 169
2. Huxley, Aldous, “Island,” (New York: Harper Collins, 1962), 169
3. Robinson, Howard, “Dualism”,The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2016 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = .
4. Huxley, Aldous, “Island,” (New York: Harper Collins, 1962), 169
5. “Huxley, Doors of Perception exerpt,” youtube, https://youtu.be/v9eD7oSX7dg

Island, the novel that Huxley considers to be his crown jewel, brings up the idea of true identity. Will, the protagonist, shipwrecked on the island of Pala where he spends about a month there, learning their culture. During this time, Will will follow a path of self discovery and come to terms with his past. Will’s past included an argument with his wife, Molly, that ended with him evicting her from his house. She left and tears, and died in a car crash (Huxley 1-5). As a result, Will puts on a “tough guy” attitude for the vast majority of the novel (approx. 90-95%). Towards the end of the novel, he goes on a guided spiritual journey to come to terms with his past and focus his attention on the present (Huxley 283-290). So during the discussion on Thursday (9/15) the line of “I-no I” became a major topic. In short, it’s idea of a person’s socially constructed self, and their true self. During that discussion, one thought kept coming to my mind, the concept of personas, particularly from the video game series Persona.

While Huxley’s novel is limited to reality in terms of how it can pull off the explanation of the “I-no I” line, Persona 4 can do so in a different way, such  as making the alternate I, or persona, a physical entity. In persona, the socially constructed self is created by suppressing their emotions/self to fit into their role in society. If I take gender roles as an example (for biology came up during discussion), the character in the image, Naoto, aspires to become a detective, but after reading all the detective novels available to her, she discovers that they are are male. Therefore, she comes up with her new social image to act as a male to fit into the role. Eventually, shes crosses paths with her shadow, the repressed truth that she can not change who she is, and eventually embraces that fact. Naoto then replaces her social image as a male, and replaces it with her acting as a female as still aspiring to be a detective.

All that said, how does this apply to us? Simple. Each of us have multiple “personas” and possibly a “shadow”. The personas change from situation to situation. For instance, a business man acts with professionalism when working to make a sale, but when he goes out with his friends, his personality is no longer being a businessman, but a friend. While we may not actively think about how we act, the changes in our persona are different from situation to situation. In regards to the “shadow”, sometimes people have a secret that they don’t want others to know for they fear they might be treated differently by society. Theses secrets can place people in social stigma’s that are often times considered negative. Currently the United States is undergoing social change, gender identity being a hot topic especially. Until the whole of society learns to accept change, or refuse it, then the “shadows” will continue to exist.

-AS

Works Cited:

Image Source: https://piercestream.files.wordpress.com

The Persona series is a trademark of ATLUS.

Huxley, Aldous. Island. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1962. Print.

In Aldous Huxley’s Island there is a lot of description of family and how these families are set up in the Pala society. This aspect of the novel is very interesting because when compared to the family system that we have now, Pala’s society concerning family is very different.

We are told that the family system is set up in a way so that the whole community raises the children, not just one set of parents. For instance, Susila’s husband has died, but her children have the rest of the community to step in and take care of them too. “…It’s good for the children to spend a certain amount of time with one or other of their deputy fathers” (Huxley, 241). This is just a small example of how the community comes together to raise all of the children, not just specific ones.

I also thought that it was interesting that while most children grow up with many sets of parents, Murugan is closely raised by his mother. He wasn’t always under her thumb, but she has such a huge influence on him, whereas if he was raised like the other children in his community I don’t think he would be so arrogant and sullen. Will sees this traits in Murugan and recognizes where it comes from. This idea comes to a head when he receives a letter from Murugan’s mother, “Angry…with that grotesque monster of a woman, who had begun by ruining her son, in the name of mother love and chastity…” (Huxley, 307-308). Maybe if Murugan had other parental influences from the rest of his community, he might have turned out differently.

I think that Huxley is trying to show both sides of growing up. One with the community raising the children and the other with just the parents. Huxley also may be trying to show the flaws in our family system today and I think that he’s right to a point. There are some really bad parents whose children don’t grow up in a good situation and could have benefited from Pala’s system, but on the other hand, there are great parents out there whose children grow up in an amazing environment and wouldn’t have needed the system.

In the end, I think what Huxley is trying to do is to make us aware of what can be a flawed family system in our society as well as showing us what it could be for children and their families in what he imagines as a type of utopia.

Works Cited

Huxley, Aldous. Island: A Novel. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1962. Print.

(picture taken from pixabay)

I noticed that in “The Island,” Huxley does not seem to address Palanise policy on individuals with disabilities. However, it is possible to get a feel for what types of policies the Palanisian government has in place for the disabled, assuming it does indeed have them.

For example, when discussing how Palanise education works, Mr. Menon runs through a list of variables that their education system takes into account for each child’s needs, such as “does this child absorb all the vitamins in his food or is he subject to some chronic deficiency…” (250). This shows that the society of Pala is not only aware of at least some forms of disability, but also regularly assesses for them as part of a good education.

Another point to consider is how Pala prevents crime. Dr. Robert tells Will about “Muscle People and the Peter Pans” as the main sources of crime (Huxley 184). Peter Pans are spotted with medical testing and treated by “three pink capsules a day before meals;” Muscle People, by contrast, are trained naturally through the societal structure of Pala and “[by] giv[ing] them all kinds of difficult tasks to perform… at nobody’s expense and in ways that are either harmless or positively useful” (Huxley 185, 188).

The two of these suggest that disability is detected and treated on Pala by means of medical testing and treatment, as well as monitored societal integration. This is a most excellent way to treat individuals with disabilities, rather than separating them out from “normal” people, or making attempts to sweep people with disabilities under the proverbial rug. People with disabilities are people that merely need help overcoming the limitations of their own bodies. A society that actively and openly integrates people with disabilities allows itself to grow and flourish in ways hard to imagine.

However, there is also the possibility that Pala simply eliminates people with disabilities from public view, just like anywhere else. Worse yet, they might be prevented from existing. When Will asks Vijaya and Shanta about their children, they talk about Deep Freeze and Artificial Insemination. For the Palanise, it’s a common practice to avoid genetic disorders, such as diabetes, by means of Artificial Insemination (Huxley 231). While this is presented as a good idea, (not to mention wishing a disability on someone isn’t a good sentiment), there’s a lot to be gained by genetically “flawed” individuals.

I would like to think that Pala’s government system, at least, prior to the end of the book, treats people with disabilities the former way mentioned. With so much stress on awareness of all parts of one’s life, it would be strange for Pala to simply eliminate one vital sector of society just because it is different.

Bridenhagen, Hannah. Untitled. 2016. Facebook. JPG.

Huxley, Aldous. The Island. HarperCollin, 1962.