Paul Goss
English 350
Dr. Wiley
12.10.2008
Abstract for Performative Aliases
I am now endeavoring upon a new set of literary enquiries, specifically concerned with the post-modern novels Snow Crash and Alias Grace. In Alias Grace, Dr. Simon Jordan becomes an alias for the reader. In Snow Crash, the two main protagonists become an alias for the reader. As the title suggests, Alias Grace is full of aliases for the historic personage of Grace Marks, as well as the fictional character. From the beginning of the novel the reader begins to learn about Grace from her, as well as what is portrayed about her by the public. At this point not much can be said, certainly nothing definitive. This part of the analysis looks at how Grace’s aliases increase and complicate, and is examined through Dr. Jordan’s interview process. More than once, Dr. Jordan asks Grace what she dreamt the night before, and Grace often plays off of her alleged memory loss to further confuse Simon and the reader. Simon is struggling at this point. Unavoidably, the plot thickens as more layers and aliases are added to what we know. Grace’s lawyer, Mr. Kenneth MacKenzie, Esq., has a minimal role in the novel, but his hidden presence, or functioning role as a third hand, is found by examining Grace’s behavior and aliases. As their interviews lead closer and closer to the day of the murder, Grace consciously reveals that she is telling a variety of stories: “What should I tell Dr. Jordan about this day” (295)? At this point Simon flees town. Different from most novels, it seems that as I come to the conclusion I know less that I did at the beginning. But I don’t know, and perhaps I never will. In Snow Crash, there is a mystery to be solved and understood, much like in Alias Grace. Before the reader ever encounters snow crash, protagonists are established and form a complementary relationship that helps them throughout the rest of the novel. Hiro and Y.T. develop a complementary relationship they use to decode, understand and defeat the snow crash virus. Like in Alias Grace, I know little at this point. As the novel progresses, Hiro and Y.T. develop a more complementary partnership. The relationship is further developed in the Mr. Lee’s franchise. These new aliases are revealed more to the reader at the concert where Raven is encountered. The characters and aliases of Hiro and Y.T. have become more revealed to me, but also more complicated. As the two methods and characters blend, the aliases become more complex. My confusion mounts here, because as I write I am beginning to see surfing as the more qualitative method, and hacking as the more quantitative. The reader learns that Snow Crash takes place in two different realms, Reality and the Metaverse. This possibility increases the complexity of the novel and the characters because they can hold different identities in the different realms. The Metaverse also allows characters to interact with one another between Reality and the Metaverse, and act in both places. The inclusion of the Metaverse has added an entirely new dimension to the novel. As the novel becomes more complex and difficult to see clearly, the same is happening with my essay. As the reader moves with Hiro into the Metaverse, they are introduced to two pivotal pieces of code, or software. When Hiro first opens the Babel (Infocalypse) hypercard, the Librarian appears to help him “sort through it” (70). The aliases already established expand and increase with the inclusion of the mythology. It is quite difficult to keep track of all the aliases in the novel because more and more layers are added. Snow Crash, if it wasn’t already complicated enough for me, was especially difficult to manage with the Sumerian mythology. I have at last come to the end of my small literary undertaking, and feel quite relieved and satisfied to have finished.
Performative Aliases
The Playful Resistance of Totality
To Dr. Amy Wiley, Care of the English Department, Cal Poly; San Luis Obispo, California; From Paul Goss, Student of Architecture, Cal Poly; San Luis Obispo, California.
December 4, 2008
12:45 a.m.
Dear Dr. Wiley
I am now endeavoring upon a new set of literary enquiries, specifically concerned with the post-modern novels Snow Crash and Alias Grace. After a careful reading of each novel and engaging discussions in class, it is time to make meaning for myself. Through my examination, I am attempting to link both novels through the use of aliases. I will assert that both novels use aliases to be performative, and to engage the reader.
In Alias Grace, Dr. Simon Jordan becomes an alias for the reader. Throughout the novel, he is studying, interviewing, and evaluating Grace Marks, trying to discover who she is. As the novel progresses, we, the reader, become wrapped up not only in the story, but also in the character of Dr. Jordan. We are trying to assemble the pieces just as he is, we are confused when he is, and like him, we never know with much certainty who Grace Marks is.
In Snow Crash, the two main protagonists become an alias for the reader. The two main protagonists are Hiro Protagonist, and Yours Truly (Y.T.). Through different methods, hacking for the former, and surfing for the latter, both characters navigate through Reality and the Metaverse to understand the snow crash virus. Like Alias Grace, as Snow Crash progresses, we become engaged in the story as well as the characters of Hiro and Y.T. As readers, we begin to surf through the plot and hack through the intellectual complexities posed.
I have only a short time to undertake this project, but I have confidence of its direction and destination. I will send notes of my research along the way.
Regards,
Paul Goss
As the title suggests, Alias Grace is full of aliases for the historic personage of Grace Marks, as well as the fictional character. Several methods are used to create the various aliases for Grace, and to blur a definition of who she is. Newspaper articles portraying actual public speculation are used, as well as the testimony of her alleged accomplice and paramour, James McDermott. Additionally, and more interesting, the reader sees different sides of Grace as the interviewing process with Dr. Simon Jordan progresses. The reader gets a glimpse of her thoughts, as well as what she decides to withhold from Dr. Jordan. The reader can see Dr. Jordan become confused, and become wrapped up in his confusion as well, because the more sides exposed of Grace, the more aliases exist and the more convoluted the situation becomes.
From the beginning of the novel the reader begins to learn about Grace from her, as well as what is portrayed about her by the public. The first page describes her as “a model prisoner” (5) by the Governor whom she works for. This very statement contradicts the notion of the imprisoned murderess. There is no mention of anger, violence or remorse, she behaves well and is trusted to work in the home of the Governor. Shortly later in the novel, several other descriptions of Grace are presented. Grace has read and heard many things about her, realizing that “I am an inhuman female demon, that I am an innocent victim of a blackguard forced against my will and in danger for my own life…” (23). The newspapers describe her in a dozen contradictory fashions, and she wonders “how can I be all of these different things at once?” (23). Evidence from the newspaper alone has established Grace as the embodiment of different and contradictory aliases, none more certain than the last.
December 4, 2008
2:10 a.m.
Dear Dr. Wiley,
At this point not much can be said, certainly nothing definitive. I have begun to understand what Grace has been involved with and accused of, and I know that different parties hold different opinions of her. This, however, is nothing special. In our own lives we are well aware that different people describe us in different ways and hold us under scrutiny in different lights. More thorough research is needed.
Regards,
Paul Goss
This part of the analysis looks at how Grace’s aliases increase and become more complicated, and is examined through Dr. Jordan’s interview process. Grace often avoids saying what Simon wants, simultaneously negating certain aliases and establishing new ones. One of Dr. Jordan’s strategies is to bring in different objects, generally a fruit or vegetable, to see what she associates with it. The first day he brings her an apple. As he is asking her what she associates with it, the reader is privileged to Grace’s thoughts about the interview. First, she pretends to not understand the question, and then gives obvious, nearly childish answers to the question. As she is talking, she suspects that it is a game with a right answer; with something specific he wants to hear. She knows that “The apple of the Tree of Knowledge is what he means. Good and evil. Any child could guess it. But I will not oblige” (40). This short set of dialogue adds much complexity to an already uncertain Grace. To begin with, it destroys the notion her lawyer presents that she is next door to an idiot. It is seen from this excerpt that she is well aware of what is going on, of what Dr. Jordan wants, and how she can manipulate that and choose what to tell him. While adding uncertainty to an already established alias of a fool, it also establishes the alias of an intelligent and calculating woman. This dynamic dialogue of Grace thinking one thing and telling him another is repeated throughout the novel.
More than once, Dr. Jordan asks Grace what she dreamt the night before, and Grace often plays off of her alleged memory loss to further confuse Simon and the reader. On the first occasion, she recalls her dream of being at Mr. Kinnear’s when a peddler tries to sell her a detached hand. At first she thinks it is hers, but sees both of her hands attached and deduces it must belong to someone else. Next she is horrified about “the blood now, dripping and thick like syrup…Behind me I could hear the music of the flute, and this made me very nervous” (101). Many interesting conclusions can be derived from this dream. The detached hand at first indicates that her hand is no longer hers, and under the control of another. Next, the detached hand may allude to the future dismembered hand of Nancy Montgomery. Lastly, the flute music is an allusion to Jamie Walsh. Jamie was her friend while she worked at Mr. Kinnear’s, but he testified against her at the trial. He seemed angry and pointed out that “she has got on Nancy’s dress…” (360). However, while the reader is privileged to all of this, Grace feigns that “I can’t remember what I dreamt last night. It was something confusing” (101). She once again chooses not to tell something to Dr. Jordan, increasing the depth of her alias and mystery. The hand establishes the idea of a third hand involved in establishing Grace’s aliases. A large part of her aliases are explored and established through what she says as opposed to what she thinks. But there are many more elements involved in this third hand, including her apparent vulnerability to fall under the influence of her lawyer or James McDermott; the people who testified against her at the trial her memory loss, and the interpretation of the reader.
December 4, 2008
3:35 a.m.
Dear Dr. Wiley,
Simon is struggling at this point. He felt that he was off to a good start by gaining her trust and getting her to begin to talk, but is starting to realize it may not be getting him anywhere. In a letter to a friend he confides: “she manages to tell me as little as possible, or as little as possible of what I want to learn…(133). Dr. Jordan now suspects what I have already known, that Grace is carefully considering what she says, what to reveal and what to keep secret. He is becoming confused with Grace. He wishes that she were “at least a little madder than she appears to be…”(132). He may be more comfortable working with someone who appears truly mad. From his position as a doctor, it would be easy to diagnose and treat the patient. However, he is confused by her persona and by all of the aliases he has to encounter and sort through. He has not found a method to hack through the layers to reach the core. As I discover alongside him, I become more confused than he because of the extra dialogue I am privileged to. The thoughts Grace reveals to me add more mystery and do not contribute anything definitive.
I, just like Simon, must continue to hack through the layers of plot and alias, and try to decode Grace.
Regards,
Paul Goss
Unavoidably, the plot thickens as more layers and aliases are added to what we know. Grace relates more stories about her former lawyer, Mr. Kenneth MacKenzie, Esq., and Dr. Jordan travels to visit him to see what can be learned. Grace also reinforces her alleged memory loss that has served so well to protect her. The reader becomes more absorbed in Simon’s small odyssey of hacking and decoding, moving with him in the intricacies of Grace, desiring to understand Grace, not for the sake of the story, so much as for the answers.
Grace’s lawyer, Mr. Kenneth MacKenzie, Esq., has a minimal role in the novel, but his hidden presence, or functioning role as a third hand, is found by examining Grace’s behavior and aliases. When he defends Grace he advises her that her best chance is to “not appear to be too intelligent” (23). The reader’s privilege to Grace’s thoughts when she and Dr. Jordan discuss the apple reveal that she is indeed intelligent, however she remembers that playing dumb helped her once and uses it repeatedly. During the trial she is presented as a fool, and her own testimony backs up this alias. Her own lawyer is convinced that she is “guilty as sin” (378), but points out that she “muddied the trail considerably…she hadn’t known where Nancy was… she suspected Nancy was dead in the cellar… claimed to have seen McDermott dragging Nancy by the hair…”(375). Grace presented three versions of the same story while on the witness stand. No one knows if she truly can’t remember, or is carefully telling different versions to establish an alias and defy certain guilt. Even when she is relating her memory of the story first hand to Dr. Jordan, it is never known whether she is telling the truth. She continues to present the alias her lawyer helped to establish, telling Simon, “That is what they wanted me to say. Mr. MacKenzie told me I had to say it…” (317). She is trying to convince Simon that she can’t remember, that she is helpless and all she knows to do is to say what she it told, faithfully relying on the instructions of her lawyer. However, the reader can interpret that she is trying to construct the alias of a fool; knowingly manipulating the alias her lawyer gave her.