Dream a Little Dream: Virtual Realities and Literature

I am currently taking another literature course called Literature of Witness, and in this course, we read a essay by D.G Myers titled “Responsible for Every Single Pain: Holocaust Literature and the Ethics of Interpretation”. In this piece, he touches on one of Emmanuel Levinas’ (French philosopher with Jewish ancestry) famous insights, being: “The other is always already a Thou, because she has a face; she foredooms every effort to reduce her to an It, because objects do not have faces. When I look upon the other’s face, I perceive the presence of something more than a composition of interests, I glimpse a being” (Myers, 1999, p. 274). When discussing what this quotes means, I came to the understanding that the face is more than just a physicality, but it serves as a recognition of a human being. Thus in order to dehumanize an individual, one must destroy the face.

In the Handmaid’s Tale, the handmaids are forced to conceal their faces, look down when they are being spoken to, make minimal eye contact, etc. While this act is supposed to stem from this idea of modesty, I argue that it is a huge act of dehumanization that should not be overlooked. These women are deprived of everything they once knew and loved, and are forced to assimilate into this new, highly problematic and utterly disturbing way of life. They are even deprived of their names. By having their faces hidden, it adds an extra layer of isolation and means to exert control over them, in which they are thus merely seen as objects. And as Levinas said, “objects do not have faces”.

I only minimally enjoyed this novel, especially after the mysterious occurrences on the island are straightforwardly explained by Morel. I clung to the suspense, which after being shattered left me feeling that the story could have ended. I thus wish the mystery was prolonged, for as intellectuals we would have figured it out. And if not, there is always joy in having ideas left to one’s interpretation. Now, when I think about why I am not a huge fan of this novel (this is not to say that it was horrible, as it is well written and I appreciate the idea of reproducing reality/ creating immorality), I must begin with the narrator. I would argue that he was delusional, but that it is justified. I am sure no reader can say that they would not have acted as he did if you were a fugitive who escaped to an island only to find out that your “safe haven” has been intruded by people who completely ignore your presence. If I was the narrator, I would have gone insane. However, while I do see his actions as justified, I was still highly annoyed at how he embraced the role of the victim, acting as if Faustine’s refusal to acknowledge him was her merely trying to defy him, and feeling that the people’s sole purpose was to capture him. While his curiosity and courage is admirable in the face of such immense fear and confusion, I found myself screaming at him (I tend to be very invested when I read) out of frustration. In addition, the fact that this story had a Déjà vu  aspect was interesting, but I did notice that I was reading similar passages over again, and I longed for something new and exciting to emerge. However, the one thing that struck me was when the narrator starts to die (102) after having inserted himself into the eternal recording. This was somewhat foreshadowed in the beginning of the story by the rug merchant (10), and at that moment everything made complete sense to me.

Lastly, the two things that were very interesting to me while reading were the footnotes and the narrator’s final request. At first the footnotes made me feel as though the narrator was unreliable, but now learning about Morel’s invention, and seeing the narrator’s transition before and after he learns that the people are images (he is less frantic and fearful), I started to question the editor’s intentions, and am not fully trusting of these provided notes. But, I do feel that including them in the story was very interesting, as it kept me on my feet and I hoped to find a footnote that would challenge my existing perception. Finally, as for the narrator’s final request in the last paragraph on page 103, he asks if the reader happens to find a way to invent a machine to assemble disjoined presences, that they, “Find Faustine and me, let me enter the heaven of her consciousness” (103). I think his last remark addresses the twelfth question that Professor Serrano raises on the handout, “Does he find immorality with Faustine?” According to his request, I would say that he has found immorality, but it may not have been what he truly desired. As is mentioned in the book, we do not know whether the people can feel or have emotions in the way they did when they were alive, because they are mere images. Thus, the narrator’s request proves that he understands that while he may be able to be with Faustine, the love may not be real or reciprocated,  and only until he enters her consciousness will he have a chance at ever being authentically loved by Faustine.

Also a quick question: Who is the person on the front cover? At first I thought it must be Faustine, but after reading about what she looks like, I figured it isn’t her. After seeing another cover of an early version of this book, which was of the island (seems more fitting), I question why this cover was originated, and what it signifies.

Growing up, I’ve always felt that my life was really never my own. There were always interjections made by others on how and who I ought to be. It seemed as though I was placed in a world (without my consent if I may add), simply to appease others while desperately trying to assert myself. I think this is why I love our group project so much, in which we get to create our own virtual reality. No one gets to fully dictate their actual realities, but there is something liberating and exciting in knowing that we have the ability to create a world in the way that we envision it (based on the story we selected), with the freedom to be as creative as we please. I can’t wait to start!

In this post I will be making a comparison between Alice and Dorothy’s perception of home. In both stories, the protagonists enter a new world within their dreams, and as readers we follow them on their individual quest. For Alice,  her desire is to become queen, thus she fully immerses herself in the world of the Looking-Glass House and is not eager to return home in the way that Dorothy is. The Wizard of Oz is essentially a story about Dorothy quest’s to get back home. On page 44, the Scarecrow asks Dorothy to describe her country, in which she explains that it is gray and gloomy. The Scarecrow thus questions why she would want to leave the Land of Oz, so beautiful and vibrant, to return to a place that is gray. Her response, “There is no place like home” (44). Although Dorothy does appreciate the beauty of Oz, her desire is to return to her reality. However, Alice’s goal is to escape her reality and enter a new world. Two different characters, one similar situation, two different missions.