Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Escaping Reality through the I Ching
During class yesterday we talked about the I Ching and its controlling and freeing effects in terms of the characters’ behavior. I agree that the I Ching is controlling but in a beneficial way. The characters in Man in the High Castle use the I Ching as a mechanism to escape the harsh realities of their lives (i.e. living under German, Japanese, and Italian rule). I think most of the characters have problems taking control of their life; therefore, they intentionally stray away from reality and let this I Ching fantasy consume their thoughts and actions even though they realize its hogwash. For example, when Frank wishes to consult the I Ching about Ed’s first selling trip he eventually concedes and says, “It can’t sell our jewelry for us…it can’t give us luck. “ This demonstrates that Frank knows that it’s silly to invest so much into the I Ching and yet he still finds the need to use it anyway. I find the characters’ us of the I Ching similar to people reading novels. We read to escape reality and to emerge ourselves into a dream world. In some cases, we may sometimes forget what is reality and what is fiction. While the characters withdraw into a private world of illusion, they find some kind of comfort and meaning in the I Ching that their semi-apocalyptic world does not offer.
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so does this mean we can read the I Ching as a form of Bokononism (and vice versa)?
ReplyDeleteI actually wasn't even thinking about Bokononism but now that you mention it I think we can definitely read the I Ching as Bokononism. They both provide a form of escape for its characters through lies or false concepts.
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ReplyDeleteThe similarity between the I Ching and Bokononism is very interesting, but not at all surprising.
ReplyDeleteAs for the post, the reason that I believe the I Ching is beneficial when stripped down to its core, is that the readings can be interpreted many different ways. This means that we can ultimately get any answer from the reading that we get. The reason this is beneficial is that sometimes we hold back from doing something that we want to do and that we think we should do because we do not have enough reassurance from others to partake. This is seen in Franks inability to decide whether or not to go into a jewelry making business. Sometimes we need an answer from an outside force to push us to do what we know is best (even if this outside reassurance is really created and interpreted by us). This is what leads Frank to ultimately agree to his soon to be business partner's idea.
This is a good theory. When people are faced with hardships they need something to steer them in a direction, even if it is not the right direction. A belief is the best thing a person can have because once beliefs fail to exist a person will truly be lost and may never find their way. Dr. J brings up a good point in that the I Ching can be compared to Bokonon, which I commented on in my post. Every thing seems to fade into religion.
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