So while I’m sure this book will probably have a really interesting spin, or so I hope, I must say I’m still way too confused to write something interesting or creative about it as of now. What I will try to focus on are some of the underlying things I found fascinating.
First I’m going to begin with something that immediately reminded me of McHale since I have him so fresh in my mind (and I’m supposed to be some kind of expert on his ideas). On page 67, Powers the character is talking about the cafeteria at “the Center”. He says, “I could eavesdrop in any direction, and trawl the same topic: the nature of the knowable, and how we know it”. This immediately reminded me of McHale and the epistemological questioning knowledge. The epistemological raises questions about knowledge, where we get it from and whether or not it’s true. I must say I was really excited when I read this line, but at the same time a little confused. I guess this is the “hemorrhage” of the novel from postmodernist to modernist??! Sounds right to me, so I’m going to stick with it.
What also caught my attention was on the same page, 67, when he also says, “I thought of joining them, but didn’t want to disrupt those with real work to do. Instead I read”. This gives us another glimpse of the science and literature comparison Powers keeps representing in the novel. It seems like there is a need for one to be better than the other; it’s as if here we’re given the impression that the job of an English Major, for example, is less than that of a science major. I guess this just surprised me coming from Powers himself comparing what he does to what the others do, basically downgrading himself. I’m sure there will be more hinting towards this in the novel, but I’m just curious of its relevance.
I also think Imp A and Imp B are really interesting because Powers begins to associate himself with the machines as if it were a real person. On page 90, he states, “Imp B did rub me the wrong way. Nothing violent. I just never cared for it,” implying the need for some sort of connection with the machine on a personal level. This seems to appear a lot in this novel because they are working so hard to make the neural net think like a human that the process is making the machines more real to each of them. Hopefully this will all become a bit clearer as the novel progresses as well.
So here are some of the things that stood out to me so far. As of now, I’m just waiting for it all to come together. Hopefully each of these things has some relevance to the actual point of all this science stuff!
Well Marina, as a fellow McHale expert, I must say that I concur with your epistemological interpretation of the cafeteria scene. In the cafeteria Powers is being bombarded with different discussions from every angle. But how much of what he is hearing is true, someone speaking to a colleague about his project will obviously be speaking very highly of it, and saying it is coming along great and will be a huge breakthrough when it is completed. Powers can walk through the center and hear conversations like that all day, but he must question who it is coming from and whether or not the source is credible.
Also, it is interesting that he somewhat diminishes himself as well as all of those who chose English as a profession by not referring to it as “real work.” Being someone like yourself, who has put in countless hours of work (as well as thousands upon thousands of $) in order to achieve a degree in English, it seems like Powers is giving it a bit of a bum rap. This statement implies that the sciences are much more useful and important to society than literature is.