Does reading The Witness reminds anyone of Mad Max: The Fury Road? The title alone suggests an association, and I will not be surprised if the movie director took cues from this book, as some of the similarities are uncanny. For instance, the lone survivor of the novel, which is the narrator, is designated as “def-ghi” by the so-called Indians. Relating this back to the title of the book, def-ghi most likely means The Witness, who literally witnesses the customs and ways of life of the Indians. More interestingly however are the activities to be witnessed, which includes but not limited to cannibalism, orgies (why?), and much indulgence in pleasure. In the move Mad Max, set in a post-apocalyptic world dominated by bloodthirsty dictators, a common phrase uttered by their foot soldiers is “Witness me” when they are about to perform a gruesome act, which usually results in their death. The soldiers believe that in doing so, they will ascend to Valhalla. Similarly, perhaps the Indians believe that unless their activities are witnessed by an outsider, the meaning in partaking in those activities is gone. Perhaps this is a form of offering to the Gods? Is this hubris? Is it possible that the activities themselves are simply the means, but that being witnessed in doing these activities is the end in itself?