Present Shock

In his novel, Present Shock, Douglas Rushkoff describes a society in which technology has advanced to such an accelerated state the technology itself is evolving faster than humans are able to account for. No longer are people concerned with what is happening in the present, but rather are constantly concerned with the events of the future. Furthermore, technology, such as the remote control, has enabled entertainment to reach a state of constant climax; rather than spending time to build up a plot and rising action that culminates in an apex. Rushkoff explains that the remote control has “more than any postmodern idea or media educator, changed the way we related to television, its commercials, and the story structure on which both depended”(Rushkoff 21). Since an audience can switch away from a channel with the click of a button, television must offer the viewer a constant of stream of excitement or else fail to draw in and maintain a sizable audience. Modern day television shows, such as Rick and Morty, aim to keep the viewer wondering what will happen next, and this is most commonly achieved by creating a sporadic and unpredictable experience.

Rick and Morty depicts the misadventures of an average highschool student and his grandfather, who just happens to be a maniacal mad scientist who spends the majority of his time hoping around the multiverse. The television show sets a precedent of unpredictability as Morty is dragged through different universes and forced to endure a different apocalyptic scenario every episode. In one particular episode, Rick accidentally mutates the entirety of the human race in to a mismatched combination of different species. The episode consists of nothing but chaos that could be considered climax after climax, and in the final two minutes of the episode Rick and Morty simply abandon their universe for an identical one. This sort of plot narrative is counter-intuitive to any that has been seen in the past centuries. Furthermore, the issue of abandoning their own universe is never brought up in any further episodes, thus drawing parallels between other modern television shows such as The Simpsons and South Park. Rushkoff gives his perspective on this phenomena in saying that “The Simpsons, along with the many satirical, self-referential shows that followed its path (the creators of Family Guy, South Park, and even The Office all credit The Simpsons as a seminal influence), offers the narrative-wary viewer some of the satisfaction that traditional stories used to provide— but through nonnarrative means (Rushkoff 26). Television shows such as Rick and Morty, South Park, and the Simpsons give the audience the entertainment they crave, but without having to sit through the exposition that would be found in more traditional forms of entertainment. Furthermore, innovations such as Netflix offer entertainment free of commercials, allowing the viewer even greater access a constant stream of excitement.

In conclusion, the modern narrative arc of television shows has evolved to accommodate society’s need for constant entertainment, even if it undermines the structural integrity of the plot. In Rick and Morty, the two adventurers spend twenty minutes creating chaos in various universes, only to resolve their issue with a simple solution in the remaining two minutes. Rather than following the traditional format of a plot triangle (exposition, followed by rising action, falling action, and a resolution), shows such as Rick and Morty or the Simpsons cut out the “unnecessary” rising and falling actions; instead opting for a model that favors a constant state of apex and excitement. Additionally, innovations such as the remote control and companies such as Netflix allow viewers to cut out any further distractions such as commercials and actual plot devices.

Works Cited

Rushkoff, Douglas. Present Shock: When Everything Happens Now. New York: Penguin Group, 2013. Print.

The Line Between Delirium and Diligence

The Line Between Delirium and Diligence

            In the biographical novel A Moveable Feast, the story of Ernest Hemingway’s life is recreated from a series of unorganized diary entries and letters which have been pieced together in order to illustrate the life of the up and coming writer in Paris during the early twentieth century. The use of Hemingway’s own journal entries as a basis for the novel allows for a first person perspective which is unique to most other biographical pieces, welcoming readers in to the peculiar mind of what many would consider to be a literary genius. However, due to the cluttered nature of the journals, the plot of the story consequentially does not follow a linear timeline but rather jumps around to highlights in Hemingway’s life, while at the same time avoiding the tragedies that Hemingway himself would be too haunted by to write in a journal. Hemingway alludes to the wrongdoings in his life in his diaries yet fails to address them directly, as was the case when he had an affair with Pauline Pfeiffer despite the love he retained for his wife. Hemingway describes the winter prior to the affair as “a happy and innocent winter in childhood compared to the next year, a nightmare winter disguised as the greatest fun of all, and the murderous summer that was to follow” (Hemingway 179). Hemingway illustrates perfectly the stereotype of the tortured artist; driven to insanity by the frustrations and temptations set forth by his art and by the people that surround him. Hemingway’s depression would deteriorate his spirit and his body alike, making it difficult to face the reality of the mistakes he had made and the people he had hurt along the way.

Through the journals and diary entries that were compiled in to A Moveable Feast, Hemingway displays a writing style which at times is highly literal and analytical, yet contrastingly uses a great deal of imagery and figurative language also. While reminiscing about the Closerie des Lilas, Hemingway notes that “the only poet I ever saw there was a Blaise Cendrars, with his broken boxer’s face and his pinned-up empty sleeve, rolling a cigarette with his one good hand” (Hemingway 69).  Hemingway meticulously notes the fact that Blaise Cendrars was rolling a cigarette whenever the two came in contact, however Hemingway doesn not give an analytical characterization of the man; preferring to instead plant the image of a broken boxer in to the mind of the reader. These contrasting styles within Hemingway’s work give insight in to the writer’s unique perspective on the world and what he deemed worthy of writing down.

Finally, this book was likely chosen to be a part of the curriculum because not only is Hemingway a highly influential author, but also has an impactful and original writing style. Unlike most biographies which are told from an outsider’s perspective, A Moveable Feast is a reflection of Hemingway’s sporadic, and at times deranged, psyche which allowed him to bleed his emotions and thoughts on to the page. Furthermore, the use of time as a nonlinear construct shows how time can be used to influence a story’s plot and coherence, which all contribute to an author’s unique style.

Works Cited

Hemingway, Ernest. A Moveable Feast. New York: Scribner. 1964. Print.