When reading The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin, I divided the book into three sections, and read each section with a different perspective. My perspectives were; reader's response literary theory, archetypal literary theory, and postcolonial literary theory. Each perspective brought forward different ideas and connections. Through the reader's response perspective for the first third of the novel, I was able to think and interpret what I believed to happen next. With the continuation of my reading I could identify whether or not my interpretations were correct. For example; I originall thought that Orr's only way to escape Dr. Haber was through suicide. After reading the novel it is clear that is not the case, but Orr did give it a thought in chapter seven: " I just had to get away. From Haber . . . The only solution I really can see," he said, "is to kill myself. But I don't want to" (Le Guin 85). Dr. Haber had been using Orr and he was struggling to find a way out. In the second third of the novel, through an archetype perspective I made countless connections between the novel and the archetypes, and the novel's characters and other famous characters. At this point in the novel, there were only three relevant characters - George Orr, William Haber, and Heather Lelache - but they were each matched with an archetype. Through the archetype connections, I could make connections to other stories / movies including Harry Potter and Wizard of Oz. Fun Fact: This novel was adapted into a movie in 2002, Lathe of Heaven. It even starred well-known actor James Caan and actress Sheila McCarthy. And for the final part of the novel, I read with the most insightful perspective, postcolonial literary theory. Through this perspective I was able to analyze a completed story, and look deeper into Dr. Haber's obsession with control. We witness his obsession as he constantly uses Orr to make changes to reality, to try and create a better world. This obsession leads to his pushing of his own psychological limits, which eventually land him a room at a mental asylum: "Orr was at the Federal Asylum for the Insane at Linnton . . . He unlocked the door and preceded Orr into the room. "Visitor, Dr. Haber," he said" (154).
Altogether these three perspectives opened my mind to multiple different ideas, but ultimately, I have one favourite. The reader's response literary theory is my favourite because it allows for thinking and creatively through interpretation. The guessing of what is to come next and the anticipation of whether you are right or wrong. All throughout the novel each perspective has proven resourceful and insightful, each contributing to the analysis of the novel in a different way. Le Guin, U. K. (1972). The Lathe of Heaven. S.l.: V. Gollancz. PDF AUDIOBOOK
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ATTENTION NEWCOMERS! This is the third blog post in this series, so make sure to check out The Lathe of Heaven : Archetypal Literary Theory. Here I am focusing on pages 107 - 159, according to the PDF version attached at the end. Last time we left off with the aliens landing in the State of Oregon. Chaos erupted, everyone freaked out, and the military were called to fight them off. By the time Orr and Miss. Lelache reached the city, bombs and missiles were going off everywhere. The pair headed straight to Dr. Haber's office. There Dr. Haber told Orr to dream about world peace; the aliens stopped retaliating and the military was called off. Along with world peace, Dr. Haber was recognized for saving the world, he became the head of the World Planning Center, and Portland became the capital of the world. Dr. Haber continued to see Orr as a patient, and continued to change reality for the better. By solving the race problem, everyone became grey; no colour, no culture, no individuality, everyone was the same. Except Miss. Lelache, she was gone. Miss. Lelache wasn't the only change, Orr's job changed - again -and parks, buildings, streets - the city was unrecognizable. In a later session, Dr. Haber informs Orr that his diagnostic tests prove he is sane, but Dr. Haber is not done with him yet. Dr. Haber is tracking Orr's brain patterns and functions, so that - with the help of a machine - the doctor can have his own induced effective dreams, and with the help of autosuggestion, he wouldn't need Orr. Orr knows this is wrong, the world cannot be controlled, but Dr. Haber threatens him if he is not compliant. Orr was determined to control his own dreams; on his way home an alien, Tiua'k Ennbe Ennbe, gave him some advice and help. Orr went home and dreamt a new reality; him and Heather (Miss. Lelache) were married and lived together, he still had to see Dr. Haber but this was the last session. The hypnotic suggestion was to never have an effective dream again and it worked. As Orr and Heather left the office, Dr. Haber attempted to have his own effective dream - it didn't go too well. The city was melting away. This was known to the public as The Break. Orr stopped Dr. Haber's dream and when he awakened, they were in a small office - Dr. Haber was no longer in a powerful, government paid position. Everyone recalled The Break, Orr lost Heather, and most things returned to normal; reace, religion, buildings, but they still coexisted with aliens. Dr. Haber was sent to a mental asylum, and Orr got a job working for an alien, E'nememen Asfah - they sold creatively hand designed kitchen equipment. And one day Heather walked in, she had some memories from previous realities, and then Orr and Heather went for coffee. I read the final part of this book through a literary theory perspective : postcolonial. Through this lens I have been able to thoroughly analyze this text.
The idea of colonial oppression is when a larger country takes over and controls another smaller country. Although this is not exactly seen throughout the novel, the idea is relevent. By using Orr's dreams / ability, Dr. Haber cam control the world, he has the opportunity to make anything happen. Orr knows this is not okay, no man should have that power and control over the world. But Dr. Haber is proud of his work: ""In the few weeks that we've worked together, this is what we've done. Eliminated overpopulation; restored the quality of urban life and the ecological balance of the planet. Eliminated cancer as a major killer . . ." (Le Guin 127). Dr. Haber is in control, he is proud of what he has accomplished, but he fails to recognize the negative side effects. Dr. Haber is convinced that what he is doing is good, better for the world, but he fails to acknowledge the negatives of his actions. He got rid of overpopulation, so a plague broke out and six billion people died. He didn't want race and culture to be an issue, so everyone became grey: "But they all wore the same clothes, trousers, tunic, raincape; and underneath the clothes they were all the same color. They were gray" (112). His problem solvers took away the identity and character of civilization, nobody could express themselves. Once Dr. Haber truly tried to take control - by having his own effective dreams, that's when destruction really hit: "the fortresses of Government . . . were melting. They were getting soggy and shaky, like jello left out in the sun. The corners had already run down the sides, leaving great creamy smears" (148). This proves the problems of post-colonial identity, one person is not made to fix it all, to be in control. Things may seem to fix itself in the beginning but slowly it falls apart. Dr. Haber became control-crazy, but because he was blinded by the good his actions brought, he was oblivious to the damage he had caused. In this novel, especially in the last third, I believe Orr can be identified as 'other' or 'stranger'. Do not take these terms literally, in this adaption of the postcolonial literary theory this person is not from another country, but they are still being used, pushed around, and controlled. Orr does not agree with Dr. Haber's actions and how Dr. Haber is gaining control through his mind. But Dr. Haber will not allow Orr to stop attending sessions and being of service: "If necessary, I'll obtain an order of Obligatory Ther— of Personal Welfare Constraint. If necessary, I'll use drugs, as if you were a violent psychotic. Your refusal to help in a matter of this importance is, of course, psychotic" (126). Dr. Haber is obsessed, addicted even to what he's doing that he will go to great measures to keep Orr as a patient. This novel shows the psychology of anti-colonialist resistance. Orr continuously tries to reason with Dr. Haber about how what he is doing is wrong: "The world is, no matter how we think it ought to be. You have to be with it. You have to let it be" (121). But Dr. Haber doesn't listen. Orr's resistance is also seen early on when he resists the hypnotherapy treatment subconsciously. This brings us to the end of The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin. An interesting read amongst all perspectives, continue to check the website for one more blog on the topic! Le Guin, U. K. (1972). The Lathe of Heaven. S.l.: V. Gollancz. PDF AUDIOBOOK Just a heads up to any newcomers, this is the second blog post in this series, so make sure to check out The Lathe of Heaven : Reader Response Theory first! Here I am focusing on pages 54 - 106, according to the PDF version attached at the end. We left off where Miss. Lelache is about to observe one of Orr's sessions with Dr. Haber. When Orr awakens all three are aware of the change in reality, but Dr. Habre rambles on in an attempt to dismiss the idea from Miss. Lelache. Dr. Habre was afraid that she would bring unnecessary attention to the treatment. In all recent sessions, Dr. Haber has been using Orr's ability to make the world a better place, but there are some side effects. With world peace now established, mankind needs something to fight, therefore aliens have landed on the moon and pose a threat to civilization. The more Miss. Lelache thought about it, the more she realized the changes in reality. She concluded that she must speak with Orr, but he was nowhere to be found. He was tired of being used by Dr. Haber and stood up to him. Dr. Haber did not take him seriously. In protest, Orr skipped sessions and ran off to his cabin. Miss. Lelache found him there and tried to control his dreams through hypnosis, to make Dr. Haber focused on curing him, not using him. And then, the aliens landed on Earth. I read the second third of this book through a literary theory perspective : archetype theory. Through this lens I have made many connections.
There are 12 common character archetypes, but in our book there are only three relevant characters. Starting off with our protagonist, George Orr; I believe he fits the archetype of the child. In the beginning of the novel he is naive, and allows Dr. Haber to use him however. As we made our way into the second part of the novel he begins to stand his ground, and stand up to Dr. Haber: ""I am cracking," he said. "You must see that. You're a psychiatrist. Don't you see that I'm going to pieces? . . . I can't stop it. I'm not in control!"" (Le Guin 76). Just like anyone who falls under this archetype, he learns to take back control. Other famous characters who are considered the child archetype include; Scout from To Kill A Mockingbird, and Dorothy from Wizard of Oz. The lawyer, Heather Lelache, falls under the caregiver archetype. Originally, she isn't completely sure whether she believes Orr, but after observing a session, some things were unexplainably weird. She needed to speak to Orr, when she found him at his cottage, he was in terrible condition and she aimed to help him. Miss. Lelache offered to try hypnosis on him - to control his dreams - and change reality so Dr. Haber would be more caring. "you'll dream that . . . that Dr. Haber is benevolent, that he's not trying to hurt you and will be honest with you," (95). When reality is changed, it doesn't go as planned, but Miss. Lelache continues to stick by Orr and help him however possible. Additional famous characters who fall under this archetype are Mary Poppins and Professor McGonagall from Harry Potter. Finally, the psychiatrist, William Haber. Many may argue he falls under the archetype of the ruler because of his lust for power, but I believe he is more of the magician. He uses Orr's ability with good intentions, he intends to change reality in a positive way - to create a better world. For example, he uses Orr's ability to solve overpopulation and wars amongst nations. Some other well-known magicians are Sherlock Holmes and Jay Gatsby from The Great Gatsby. Along with common character archetypes, there is a fundamental plot - The Journey. Protagonist moves from innocence to experience This can be seen when Orr chooses to run away to his cabin, to avoid Dr. Haber from using him: " I just had to get away. From Haber" (85). Here Orr takes a stand, no longer allowing Dr. Haber to walk all over him. Begins in familiar environment The novel is constantly in and around Portland, Oregon, but it changes. When Dr. Haber starts to regularly alter reality through Orr's dreams, the city changes in many ways. Less buildings, less people, Miss. Lelache even finds herself lost at times: "What the hell was she doing? Going to the converted parking structure at 209 S.W. Burnside. What converted parking structure? Her office was in the Pendleton Building," (78). Descent into danger They slowly enter more and more danger as they continuosly alter reality. For example, changing the world's population by six billion people. Battle In this novel, they reach their battle when aliens come to Earth and the State of Oregon turns into chaos. For now, this is as far as my connections can be made. The resolution to the battle and the return home will be revealed in the next and final part of The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin. Le Guin, U. K. (1972). The Lathe of Heaven. S.l.: V. Gollancz. PDF AUDIOBOOK The Lathe of Heaven was published in 1971 by American Author Ursula K. Le Guin. So far in the novel, George Orr has been caught over using drugs to suppress his dreams, and has been sent to psychiatrist, Dr. William Haber to participate in Voluntary Therapeutic Treatment (VTT). In Orr's first session he explains to Dr. Haber how some of his vivid dreams become effective, they alter reality and only he remembers life before the dream. Dr. Haber suggests hypnotic induced dreams, where he tells Orr what to dream, and ensures it is dreamt at the deepest / most vivid level (d-state). After the first session there is only a small change in reality but Dr. Haber sees it alongside Orr. But the doctor isn't honest with Orr about remembering both realities, but ensures with more sessions he will cure Orr. Very early on Orr realizes Dr. Haber has been taking advantage of his ability and uses it to benefit himself (ie. bigger office, becomes head of research facility, etc.). Orr turns to a lawyer - Heather Lelache - for help who is about to sit in on one of the sessions. I read the first third of this book through a literary theory perspective: reader response. Through this lens I have drawn many conclusions, ideas, and questions.
From the reading, I predict that Dr. Haber will alter the hypnosis - that Miss. Lelache sits in on - so no vivid dreams will occur and alter reality. I believe this because Dr. Haber tells Miss. Lelache "He's already going into the second stage of orthodox sleep, s-sleep, whichever term you've run into, the kind of sleep without vivid dreams that occurs in between the d-states all night. But I'm not letting him go on down into deep fourth-stage, " (Le Guin 52). Dr. Haber does not allow Orr to reach the d-state, therefore no allowing reality to be altered. He will dream, but they will not be effective. This way Miss. Lelache will be led to believe Orr is not mentally okay. Further along, Dr. Haber will continue to use Orr to his advantage, and Orr's only escape will be death. That may be a tad dramatic for an ending, but who knows. When Orr speaks to Miss. Lelache, he explains how he does not feel Dr. Haber is helping him: "You say that you do want to get off drugs, and that Dr. Haber is giving you a heavier dose of phenobarb, now, than you were taking on your own;" (38). I sympathize with Orr here. I understand what it is like to have a doctor who isn't 100% focused or caring. Orr just wants to get off drugs, but Dr. Haber is prescribing him more because it helps the treatment. I had a prolonged knee injury, and my doctor refused to recommend me for a MRI because she didn't believe it was necessary - I could barely walk most days. Dr. Haber continued with the treatment because it would benefit him. My doctor avoided the MRI because she didn't want to waste time on a test that would show "nothing." Having a doctor who doesn't fully support you and listen to you is one of the most frustrating things I have ever dealt with, and I feel bad that Orr has to deal with that. After reading the first 53 pages of the novel, I have come to interpret what the author may be like and who the audience she intended the book for may be like. Both, author and audience, I believe like an escape from reality. Somewhere they can go to feel like they have the power to change reality. Obviously we cannot dream what we wish and it comes true. But this book can motivate the audience / reader - you and I - to work hard and reach for the stars! Le Guin, U. K. (1972). The Lathe of Heaven. S.l.: V. Gollancz. PDF AUDIOBOOK |
ATTENTIONThis series of blogs contains spoilers to the novel The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K Le Guin. |