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Brewnerians: Read a story from Welcome to the Monkey House and respond. I'll try to start with a question, but feel free to begin if I haven't arrived there yet. Choose three (or more?) of the stories to respond to. Maybe you can write about confusions, or guesses, or comparisons, or the language, or characters, or the White Rock Girl or....whatever catches your attention.
me
About Me
- kbrewner
- Notice: the full moon (in eclipse) is over my right shoulder.
The White Rock Girl
Psyche
23 comments:
Relating this story to computer worlds is funny but works. Who hasn't played the sims and created a person that they would like to look like. I'm not sure if I would want to be amphibious. I would not be against the people who are, but I would probably be too scared to try leaving my body. That's just so weird to think about.
Yeah, I remember my glory days with The Sims. I played all the time; making people with interesting jobs, houses, friends, etc. One day, my brother asked me why I felt the need to ignore my own life an live someone else's.
I think that would be the biggest drawback of being amphibious: no one would have their own lives anymore. There's nothing keeping anybody from being exactly like everyone else, and that would quickly become a very boring existance.
So I don't think I would be amphibious, either. I wouldn't hate amphibians, though, like Kara. I guess if we're talking about evolution, I'd just like to stay in the sea. Maybe I'd be something interesting, like a dolphin, or maybe I'd be stuck as a dull sponge, but whatever I'd be, I'd stay. Just because sea sponges aren't interesting doesn't necessarily mean that the world doesn't need them.
If I had a choice, I would not want to become amphibious. I can't deny the fact that my body is part of me, whether I like it or not. Also, having weaknesses and flaws builds a person's character. Amphibians don't have fears, they don't get angry, and they easily forgive others. They are a society of people who are all perfect. Personally, I would like to keep my flaws because they make up my unique identity.
i think that being amphibious would be a great experience, but i would not choose that way of living as a lifestyle. Amphibians clearly have advantages of ridding themselves of the hardships of a body, but they also lose themselves. Moving out of your physical body is not the same as moving from sea to land. Moving from sea to land is an environmental change. Moving out of your own body is a change in yourself. Your body is part of you and defines you just as much as your mind and consciousness. You can't just shop for bodies as you do clothes, right?
To answer the first question no I would not be amphibious. Although it would be neat to have a body that is in perfect health and shape. In our modern day society many people get stuck on video games that have their own worlds in them. As everyone has already mentioned The Sims, I would like to point out a phase my little brother is going through with Star Wars. Anything he play with has to be with Star Wars and that got mew thinking that our society is one that can either help your mind grow and be creative or it can trap it inside a boxx never to be used again..
I would not want to be amphibious. Pretending, like playing a game like the Sims can be fun -- but ultimately without our bodies we lose a huge aspect of the human experience. With no flaws or superficial experiences, we would not be molded into the people we are today. We need both positive and negative experiences to give us a sense of self, and a means of confirming our values and morals. Without a body to enable us to have these situtations, who would we be? What's the point of living only in our souls and minds if they offer nothing to others?
Would I want to be amphibious? Yes, I guess I would. Never having to worry about matters like money, hunger, or sickness would be something that every society should aspire to. Without physical worries we are free to evolve beyond the meat bags that bind us to the earth, and allow us to aspire toward a higher conciousness. I understand that people have an attachment to the physical world, but perhaps a greater spiritual unity can only be gained through detachment from worldly goals and woes. The point of the greatest importance for me is that amphibians still die they exist indefinitely, and eventually reach their ends.
I would love to become amphibious, but I know that I would probably be too afraid to try to leave my body. I think that would be a totally cool experience though. I would like being able to be someone different all the time, like in "Who am I this time?" Although I would totally miss eating food. I definitly think this has a parallel with computers. Like others said above, computers games allow people to forget who they are and become someone else. This not only happens in games, but in having an AIM account or e-mail address. Under an alias, people can become whoever they chose to be and on the interent no one will ever see their face.
I would rather not become amphibious. Although the temptation of physical impeccability is intriguing, I have created too many ties to the world as a non-amphibian and I think I'll play the hand that I have been dealt. As for the tie-in to computer worlds like World of Warcraft and others, I have never been attracted to 1st person video games bceause they are too much like real life and I would rather keep 100% of my brain in this universe.
Just as Mary and others were reminiscing about their Sims days, I too used to be addicted. This story definitely relates to games like these that allow you to take on any character. Although the thought of leaving my own body is a little creepy, I think I would do it if I had the chance. What a cool opportunity- being able to be whoever you wanted whenever you wanted. I thought the part about how Madge borrowed so many more bodies was really interesting. I think women would tend to take on more identies than men because they are unhappy with their appearance more often. If you felt unattractive one day, you could just switch bodies. What a weird concept.
I'm sure being amphibious would be cool for about a day, but I don't think I would want to be amphibious forever. I'm very scared of the ocean so I don't think I would get very far in the water anyways. And along with everyone else, I went through a Sims phase, though mine was probably the most severe. Admitting that is embarassing because that game is so ridiculous and pointless but somehow, you can get addicted so easily and time seems to pass really quickly and soon you've been at your computer for 5 hours and you have to squint because you've been staring at a computer screen for too long. I don't know why its so easy to become obsessed with the most pointless things.
i agree with people who say that they would NOT like to be amphibious. I never played the SIMS, and didnt understand why people enjoyed that game in the first place. I know it's hypocrititcal of me to like to dress up, but at the end of the day, im still physically the same, its only the outer layer that has changed. i guess the same could be argue for changing bodies, but i like being able to own My body and woould like to keep it the way it is
The idea of leaving your body behind so that you can live your life unimpeded is creative and interesting, and I wonder if people today would utilize such a power if it existed. Videogames and computers create a sort of vicarious environment where we can escape from ourselves temporarily, and their widespread use lends evidence towards the fact that our current society desires to both leave behind their burdens and obtain information as quickly and efficiently as possible.
It’s hard to say if I would choose to be amphibious…I feel like it is really shallow to want to live in someone else’s body… I feel like there’s something to be said for accepting yourself for how you are. Madge seems really shallow and dumb to me, because she is obsessed with having the best body which reminds me of bimbos today who go out and got cosmetic surgeries such as nose jobs, liposuction, etc. The recurring theme I’m seeing here throughout Vonnegut’s stories is the defiance of life’s natural process, because the whole reason Madge became amphibious in the first place was to prevent death. While it would be nice to flee death, maybe her body was sending her a message that it was her time to go. Also, I do think the story has a parallel with the computer world. We can all hide behind our computers and avoid have people see us while interacting with them, and this way we do not feel self-conscious about how we look, so we don’t have to spend time on maintenance or getting dressed to talk to people. I must admit that it is very nice to do sometimes when I am too lazy to fix myself up, but at the same time, people rarely ever see what I look like when I’m wearing sweats or not wearing any makeup. So I think the being amphibious prevents people from accepting their bodies, and themselves. Also, I think the amphibious thing is kind of like a fake. I’ve heard certain stories about people on myspace or facebook that only take pictures of themselves from certain angles, so that people only see them a certain way. By using other peoples’ bodies when one is amphibious, I feel like that is the same thing. However, the upside of being amphibious might be that people accept others for their personalities rather than their looks.
This story was a lot of fun for me to read. If I had the choice though, I think I would be amphibious. It's so much more of a freer experience than having to live in a human body. It has obvious parallels to facebook and aim and becoming someone that you aren't. I won't lie - there a few occasions when I have pretended to be someone else online to fool others and it is tons of fun. The idea of saying and doing things with no repercussions is very tempting. Though I see how the humans fear of the amphibious is partially relevant to the whole online predators, I see the amphibious beings as more of a symbol of the unknown and misunderstood. The normal society is afraid of the things that they cannot be and therefore antagonizes and attacks what they cannot accept. I hate to say it, but I see obvious parallels to Harry Potter and the muggles.
I don't think I would chose to be amphibious. Although it may be nice in some aspects, I think that to a greater extent, being I am is better. If everyone was to become amphibians, there would be nothing very unique in our society. Everyone who be pretty much the same. I honestly believe that my flaws make me who I am today. The struggles I had made me a stronger person. Without those things, I don't think I would have really understood how to work for things. It would be like getting rid of the idea of fear, and therefore, the idea of overcoming fear. If fear is taken away, so is courage. If hate is taken away, in many sense, so is love. Also, this idea, of becoming someone you are not, means that you are giving up your former life. The life in which you struggled so much to get to the point you are at. All those struggles and pain- would become meaningless. So therefore, I would not choose to be amphibious.
Parallels with our virtual computer worlds. I guess this story does. There are a lot of games where you choose an identity and at times, being someone you're not. It's easy to do that on the computer with facebook and msn messenger and other such social network related online resources.
I have a hard time seeing how having a body is such a burden. Of course, you have to get sick and sleep and take care of yourself, but i love being unique. I don't think i could stand not having a face--not being one person no matter what i look like. If i did have the opportunity to become amphibious, i would definately try, just because i dont want to be against something that i dont really understand. (ps-- i think it's kind of cool that my sister has a comment on here too)
The line that stood out to me specifically in "Unready to Wear" was stated right before the couple was taken to court: "People of all colors, shapes, sizes, and nationalities, joined together to fight the amphibians." Vonnegut specifically added this short sentence to draw attention to the life on earth that was left behind by the amphibians. I believe that the message Vonnegut was trying to get out was that humans don't really care about race or ethnicity, they just need someone to hate.
I am not sure if I would want to be amphibious or not. The idea of separating myself from my body holds its temptations and setbacks. On the one hand, if I were stripped of my exterior, all prejudices would be dissolved as character and spirit would be the only criteria a person would be measured upon. One would be free of self-consciousness and therefore would be able to connect with their true selves. However, without a body all control would be lost as well as all the pleasures a physical body can provide with. All senses would be lost and uniqueness and identity would be foreign. I am perplexed.
I would not be amphibious. When you're amphibious, you can't truly appreciate life and the precious gift that is. I know that sounds cliche, but seriously. If youre amphibious, you're not concerned with when you'll die, or if you're living everything to the fullest. There's never any risk, and with the biggest risks come the biggest rewards. Also, you wouldnt ever be able to learn from your mistakes in life because there wouldnt ever be any consequences. You also would never find out who you truly are. I think this parallels to the internet because with these online dating things, people pretend to be who they wish they were. They are never able to show every side of them, and are therefore always putting on a show.
I think being amphibious would be better than being in a human body. I never really thought before how the human body is like a warehouse that holds the brain and soul of a person. Through the persona of Unready to Wear, being amphibious has no drawbacks. I think in today’s society, people focus too much on their appearance and the impact their person has on the world, instead of focusing on improving themselves internally. Everything is linked to survival in some way or another. Even things which are supposed to enrich the mind really are only for survival. Do well in school so you can go to a good college so you can get a good job so you can live. If people didn’t have to worry about keeping themselves alive, a lot more would be done with the mind.
I'm not completely sold on the whole amphibian idea. On one hand, the humans are hung up on hating and being at war because they're afraid of the amphibians, and I don't want to be a part of that. On the other hand, what do the amphibians do with themselves? They all have the same job. How can they find life meaningful if they don't experience a full spectrum of emotions and have no personal investment in what they do all day. Though the human life is flawed, I can't find reason enough to want to abandon it.
Did you read the story? It had nothing to do with the kind of amphibian that lives partly in water. These “amphibians” lived partly sans bodies!
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