The ontological (?) problem of the jellyfish in Lathe of Heaven
What did anyone make of the opening paragraphs of Lathe of Heaven?
And now, now the currents mislead and the waves betray, breaking their endless circle, to leap up in loud foam against rock and air, breaking. . .
What will the creature made of seadrift do on the dry sand of daylight; what will the mind do, each morning, waking? (7)
Granted that this could be yet another of Orr’s dreams (or not?) Even so, does the jellyfish connect in any significant way to the sea-turtle aliens of Orr’s imagination, who seem to be in charge of things at the end of the book?
hammad wrote:
I feel the image of the jellyfish portrayed in The Lathe of Heaven is pretty significant. The jellyfish clearly connotes something insignificant, dependent, and incapable of making decisions for itself. While arguing over the necessity of effective dreams, Doctor Haber exclaims to Orr, “You’re a moral jellyfish.†(143) Haber views Orr as a means to an end, and subject of study rather than a human being capable of rational or moral thinking. On the contrary, the sea-turtle aliens appear to exude a completely different, and perhaps compensating persona. They stoically perform duties, and based on what I remember, they never complain or criticize the moral or ethical validity of humans’ actions. The aliens would be perfect subjects for Haber to study, as they are respectful and subservient. However, as you pointed out, the aliens gain in influence by the end of the book. I think this is because they, unlike mankind, are not swept away into the confusion following the Great Divide. Mankind resembles the jellyfish described in the opening paragraphs, as it is engulfed by convoluted memories and remains vulnerable to outside influence. The aliens provide stability in a time of volatility, and thus end up with a sizable amount of power and influence.
Posted 30 Oct 2007 at 3:28 pm ¶
Jamie Goldberg wrote:
I felt that the jellyfish was part of Orr’s dream. I thought that this was at the point where Orr changes the world for the first time, ending the nuclear destruction that is suppossed to end the world. I took the jellyfish as less of a symbol and more as simply a living creature that can only exist when the world itself exists. After these opening paragraphs Orr is confused whether he is dying of drug abuse or radiation poisoning. I felt that he was in confusion because he had just awoke from one of his effective dreams and was still unsure if he was living in the old reality or the new reality.
Posted 31 Oct 2007 at 3:36 pm ¶
pink martini wrote:
I interpret the jellyfish, dying once on the shore, as a metaphor for (Orr’s) mind which is stable in the realm of the subconscious, the dream, but very volatile when in contact with the conscious, the reality. Like the sand and the light of day, the morning is a different and alien environment for the dreaming mind. It is at the point of waking up that realities are confused and confusing. Orr lives at the point of waking up.
Posted 31 Oct 2007 at 7:14 pm ¶