Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Pessimistic Animals

"You have no faith" (49). Such a phrase has many potential meanings. Such words can be taken in a literal sense, therefore declaring that a person has no religious beliefs.  It can also be read as a statement regarding a person's self confidence, implying that they lack assertiveness. In addition, it can be viewed as merely a statement regarding a person's optimism. In Phillip K. Dick's The Man in the High Castle, I believe the last two translations apply. Throughout the novel, various characters resort to the oracle when they find themselves apprehensive of an upcoming event, used in only potentially bad situations. They consult the oracle in the hope that their dread will be eliminated with the fortune of a prosperous future. And if such a message is not produced by the I Ching, they place their misfortune on the negative oracle reading. The people in this alternative world are incapable to problem solve, weigh options, or think for themselves. No decisions are made without consultation with the oracle.  The I Ching thinks for them.
Linked to a lack of self-confidence, the people of Dick's post WWII universe additionally lack any sense of optimism. New ideas, such as that for Edfrank Jewelry, are deemed to be frivolous conjecture. Initial thoughts are of what possibly could go right amongst all that definitely will go wrong, instead of assessing their situation from logically. The I Ching deprives the people of Dick's alternate world of true emotions, a sense of hope, the ability to problem solve and adjust, and simply what it means to be human. 

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