My previous posts have been focused on giving examples as to why this future world is a creation of Connie’s mind. I still feel that this is a possibility, but there are some circumstances that just seem too complicated to be created for her mind to make up. However, the first few chapters of this reading help to keep the reader believing that this is all made up.
As Connie dozes in bed, “Groggy on drugs,” (Piercy 186) she calls out to Luciente. We see that the more she goes to this world, the easier it becomes for her. Like anything, the more someone practices, the easier the job becomes, even if that job is escaping to a world of her own creation. In response to her telling the group that they exist (Piercy 189), Luciente tells her with a smile, and sad eyes, “Maybe, Maybe not.” and “It’s not clear. We’re still struggling to exist.” Could this be her mind telling her that they exist solely because of her? A few lines later, Bee tells her that “We must fight to come to exist, to remain in existence, to be the future that happens. That’s why we reached you.” (Piercy 190) Now i might be taking this out of context, but from what we’ve read so far, to me, this just adds to the evidence that this isn’t real!
At the meeting in the future we meet Parra, a female who is very similar to Connie… except she isn’t crazy! Like everyone else in this world, she bears a striking resemblance to someone. To me, she comes off as a version of Connie that might have been if she made better life choices. As they talk to each other, particularly about punishment for crimes, she tells Connie that it is up to the person who committed the the crime to choose their punishment. Is this Connie’s subconsciousness telling her that everything that she has done is okay.
In Chapter 12, something very interesting happens to Connie. (Piercy 245) She a dream where she become a mother, along with Sojourner, and Jackrabbit. She is woken by Luciente to find out that it was a dream. Even while on the run, her mind (dreams) somehow goes back to this future world. At this point, i start to question if maybe this future could be a real thing. I don’t see how Connie could come up with all of the survival skills that Luciente teaches her, having spent most of her life in cities.
Connie is told about “The Enemy.” In this section we see some things that we normally think of when we think about science fiction. The Enemy are the remaining rich people in this future, and they are made up of “androids, robots, cybernauts, partially automated humans.” (Piercy 261) The procedure that Connie is being subjected to would actually make her just like one of these creatures. I wonder if the doctors performing the surgery are the basis for the creation of the enemy in her mind? Its scary to think what can become of Connie after seeing that Skip cuts his own throat. (Piercy 280)
I didn’t think the enemy are the remaining rich people specifically, just a section of humanity that has chosen to keep depending on technology, despite pollution, etc., rather than change their way of thinking the way Luciente’s people have done. Although since the specifically mention “partly automated humans”, it could be that the experiments taking place at the mental institution are the precursors to creating those cyborgs and automated humans of the future with whom Luciente’s people are at war. If that is the case then the book is starting to sound coherent and *gasp* an interesting plot is unfolding.
Pg. 261 last paragraph:
“The enemy… Once they ran the whole world, they had power as no one, even the Roman emperors, and riches drained from everywhere.”
That is basically saying these are the remnants of the rich in society. When she is transported to that “other” future, we see a closer look at them.