Branching out from my previous blog post, the purpose of multidimensionality simultaneously underscores the magnitude of multi-sided perspectives. More specifically, the author plays around with the concept of drugs on page 79 when he says “He was suffused with warmth; the universe was benevolent, the lamp positioned to shine into his mouth was the nourishing sun. He knew it wasn’t but it also was, and then the dentist was saying “All done” (Lerner 79). The author being written about in the novel–written by Lerner, also an author (get it?)–superimposes the brain activity that occurs while on drugs, and the gateways they are to his readers. This kind of hyper aware consciousness is put on display while the author is under the influence for his dental procedure. It sounds like the character’s voice, so it does not give the impression of an outside force. We know that sort of brain capacity exists. But at the same time, there is a sort of wisdom found in the drug experience that is incredibly expansive, while at the same time, almost superficial-like, because it’s a form of intoxication.

       Treating a light like it is “nourishing” just as the sun is has the potential to rewire your brain’s reward system, rippling into other thoughts, behaviors, patterns, and beliefs. The author was able to ground his thoughts and recognize that the lamp does not exude the same vitamins the sun can, but still expressed his gratitude for that function. The simplicity of the sun’s rays was enough to add warmth to the author’s internal world indefinitely. If the human mind responds well to the perceived care of the sun, that treatment can be carried out through other behaviors, possibly not only induced by drugs. An ordinary, mundane dental procedure turned out to be a golden opportunity for enriching his everyday practices so that he may be equipped to give himself the experience of comfort. 

      Lerner explores complex yet fascinating concepts in 10:04, imposing thought provoking material to his subsequent readers. Most strongly, though, is how the intelligence of the human mind is explored in his story. In line with Earth’s resources Lerner adopts and showcases a mental-view encompassing thoughts, feelings, and concepts that came from a simple dental procedure drug. A novel that was written by someone else, at another time, is able to conjure up my curiosity; there is wisdom in this material that is timelessly touched upon by other human beings.

Ben Lerner’s 10:04 is clearly a homage to a writer’s life in NYC. The main character, himself an author, basically has placed his life within the pages of this book taking us, the reader, through his adventures. He is the creative “type” who hangs around with other writers, and artists such as his girlfriend Alena who in this chapter started the “Institute for Totaled Art” in her own loft. Her fascination with the weird and the wonderful makes for an excellent read. Honestly she makes me chuckle simply because she reminds me of people in my every day life.

The main character seems to be dependent on the future. Throughout chapter III, he talks about how the future will be looking and how the world is ending. His focus appears to be “nit picky”, focusing on the sperm and fetishism, as well as the world to come (picture page 135). As the chapter continues, we see the main character as always focusing on Alex and providing us description of her desire to be a mother, drinking and her jobs. Alex’s main focus is her overpowering desire to become a mom.

“Because you believe, even though you’ll deny it, that writing has some kind of magical power”. I chose this quote before this explains the mindset of the main character. As with most writers they get lost in the story they are writing (or in his case, poems) and this is “magical” to them.

Storytelling by him is picturesque. The reader creates an image of what the author is trying to bring forth. This was so poignant when he was relaying the story to Alex about his grandmother and her death. I was so engrossed in the story I burst out in tears. His interest in the world is compelling but his unsuredness about being with Roberto and everyone else made me feel sorry for him. I honestly never felt that way about anyone.

Lauren’s Earthseed religion believes that we shape God and that God is a malleable force. What in her environment may have shaped her to reject her family’s christian religion and take on this ideology? What may Butler be trying to say about current contemporary religion by using religion as an underlying theme among this chaotic dystopia.

As a read the first two parts of this novel I felt confused and a bit lost but also intrigued. I struggled to find a single topic to talk about in this blogpost so I am going to do a fluid analysis on some themes and observations I have noticed so far.

I believe that what makes this novel a bit confusing, yet so distinct is its blurred line between fiction and reality. In addition, similar to Ghosh’s novel, the timeline is composed of the past and present at the same time, but 10:04 focuses on the future, and fears, anxiety, and uncertainties when it comes to the future. Although while it focuses on anxieties of the future, it does it in a way where the future seems to be avoided in a sense because of the uncertainty attached to it. As readers we are experiencing the anxiety that the protagonist faces internally about his Marfan diagnoses. Through his very sensory narration, it feels like we are seeing his life through a magnifying glass at times when he speaks in the present.

What stood out to me was the quote Lerner includes in the epigraph, “Everything will be as it is now, just a little different”. Everything seems distorted and magnified when he describes his body in the doctors office, the process of eating the octopus in the beginning, the sensations in his walks and museum trips with Alex, and the way the Whole Foods looks and feels different as everyone prepares for the storm. This quote and the way the narrator’s surroundings are felt and described with extreme attention to detail and sometimes over analysis is a product of the anxiety that comes from a vulnerable and uncertain future. Sometimes the narrator speaks in present tense when describing a past memory as if the actual present tense is the future. The present moment converges and is affected by the future and sometimes the past. We are constantly being pulled from the present into seemingly random memories in the past and speculation about the future of the narrator’s health condition and the state of the city after the impending storms.

There is a constant theme of imminent disaster and  parallels between the narrators health and the city. When working with the boy the narrator tutors, Roberto, we also get a hint of his fears about the vulnerable future that the storm brings, and even that his family faces being undocumented as he describes his nightmare to the narrator. The narrator says “Roberto, like me tended to figure the globe apocalyptically.”

How does Gosh utilize dualities to highlight differences & similarities between people of different societies and languages/worlds?