At the end of the novel Neuromancer, Gibson finally reveals the answers to some of the most relevant issues of the story. Throughout the plot, we follow Case and Molly on a mission in which we and the characters themselves don’t even know what the ultimate goal is supposed to be. Toward the end, Gibson tells us that their ultimate goal is to unite Wintemute with its AI sibling, which shares the same name of the novel, Neuromancer. We also find out that Case and Molly do not truly love each other, but only sees each other as a companion and sometimes use each other to satisfy their sexual desires. The only person that Case has strong feelings for is Linda Lee for Neuromancer has been using her to attract Case into staying at the island. In addition, we know that it is Neuromancer who used Linda Lee’s image all these times (such as the one when Case see her image in the stars) to invoke Case’s emotion. Case is also free of the poisonous sacs whereas Riviera is killed by Molly’s poison.
Although it seems as if all issues have been resolved, Gibson also ends the novel with some ambiguity as well. For instance, why does Neuromancer uses Linda Lee’s image to lure Case into staying at the island? Is it because Neuromancer does not want to reunite with Wintemute? Why does Gibson titled the novel Neuromancer, same as the AI? Also , it seems as if Molly is falling for Case when she tell Case about Johnny and how she trusts him. However, toward the end of the novel, she leaves Case, leaving a note that says “its taking the edge off my game...its the way I’m wired I guess” (Gibson, 267). How is Molly’s life turning out? In addition, when Wintermute says to Case “I’m the matrix, Case,” it leaves us wondering what will it turn out to be. Is the image that Case sees of himself, Linda Lee, and Riviera real or just a mere memory?
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Neuromancer Frameworks
In Neuromancer, William Gibson introduces us to a cybernetic world of advanced technology, romance, necromancy, and neurotic characters. The following passages of the novel allow us to get a glimpse of the high tech, necromancy and neurotic frameworks.
“‘It’s Case, man. Remember?
’‘Miami, joeboy, quick study.’
‘Know how a ROM personality matrix works?’
‘Sure, bro, it’s a firmware construct’ (78).
This is a conversation between Case and the Dixie Flatline’s construct. McCoy Pauley, also known as the Dixie Flatline, died from braindeath three times. However, a company called Sense/Net was able to save his construct. Case was then ordered to retrieve this construct. After Case retrieved the construct, he was then able to talk to the Dixie Flatline’s construct. Evidently, in this cybernetic world, death is not the end; advance technology can collect a person’s thought and intelligence for future use. With this advancement in technology, even clones and artificial intelligence like AI Wintermute were made possible.
“Drunk in Singapore, [Corto] beat a Russian engineer to death in a hotel, and set fire to his room. Next he surfaced in Thailand, as overseer of a heroin factory. Then as enforcer for a California gambling cartel, then as a paid killer in the ruins of Bonn. He robbed the bank of Wichita” (84)
In this description, Gibson illustrates the neurotic characteristics of Armitage in his previous past as Colonel Willis Corto. Although it is only a short description, we can see that Corto is a character with no respect for other lives and no senses of a normal human being. It seems as if Corto is not even a human being. Up to this point of the novel, no character is portrayed as having any sort of family members; their closest companions so far have been drugs, gadgets, and prostitutes.
The fact that neurotic characters like Case, Molly, and Armitage/Corto are put together in a cybernetic world of high technology suggests that technology is altering mankind. Nature, family, and friends are no longer crucial. In a cybernetic world, it is all about who has the better gadget or who can hack into the matrix better.
“‘It’s Case, man. Remember?
’‘Miami, joeboy, quick study.’
‘Know how a ROM personality matrix works?’
‘Sure, bro, it’s a firmware construct’ (78).
This is a conversation between Case and the Dixie Flatline’s construct. McCoy Pauley, also known as the Dixie Flatline, died from braindeath three times. However, a company called Sense/Net was able to save his construct. Case was then ordered to retrieve this construct. After Case retrieved the construct, he was then able to talk to the Dixie Flatline’s construct. Evidently, in this cybernetic world, death is not the end; advance technology can collect a person’s thought and intelligence for future use. With this advancement in technology, even clones and artificial intelligence like AI Wintermute were made possible.
“Drunk in Singapore, [Corto] beat a Russian engineer to death in a hotel, and set fire to his room. Next he surfaced in Thailand, as overseer of a heroin factory. Then as enforcer for a California gambling cartel, then as a paid killer in the ruins of Bonn. He robbed the bank of Wichita” (84)
In this description, Gibson illustrates the neurotic characteristics of Armitage in his previous past as Colonel Willis Corto. Although it is only a short description, we can see that Corto is a character with no respect for other lives and no senses of a normal human being. It seems as if Corto is not even a human being. Up to this point of the novel, no character is portrayed as having any sort of family members; their closest companions so far have been drugs, gadgets, and prostitutes.
The fact that neurotic characters like Case, Molly, and Armitage/Corto are put together in a cybernetic world of high technology suggests that technology is altering mankind. Nature, family, and friends are no longer crucial. In a cybernetic world, it is all about who has the better gadget or who can hack into the matrix better.
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