Well, I did it. I finally finished The Diamond Age. Took me awhile but I'm proud to say I've done it. Sadly, I'm no better off than when I started.
I still don’t think I completely understand the story. So it’s the future and there’s this book that Nell becomes obsessed with. Then there’s Hackworth and Dr. X and some other people. And these classes of people. Lots of sex and then Nell takes over the world. I’ve got it, right?
Is it a bad thing I don’t like Nell at all? I mean, I know she’s the protagonist- I’m supposed to like her. Yet I just don’t. She is just so obsessed with her book; it’s a little odd. I know it is “teaching” her but sometimes she is just too engrossed with it. I mean, she’s eighteen or nineteen years old, practically writing porn, and she’s reading some fairy tale story. Plus Nell seems a little young, even after she is grown. Although she knows how to fight and disembowel people, she still acts so innocent and naïve. And for some reason, this bothers me.
What I found interesting in the book (yes, I actually found something) was the references to the time the book was written. Stephenson makes references to the government at the time (1998), restaurants (McDonald’s and KFC of all things), and movies. Since the book took place so far in the future, it seems unlikely that these things would even still be mentioned. Perhaps Stephenson added them to give readers a little something to relate to or because these cultural elements were so locked in this subconscious, he couldn’t help but write about them (yeah, I doubt that one too).
Sadly, I understood more about The Diamond Age from reading N. Katherine Hayles’ “Is Utopia Obsolete?” Her summary of the book actually cleared up some plot questions for me. The article also discussed the idea of A Young Lady’s Illustrated Primer as being seen as a sort of “utopia”. It is, after all, the most perfect book. It interacts, it speaks, it’s self-lighting, and it teaches for the low low price of $18.99! What more could you want? The Primer represents a utopia to Nell as well as she reads it. Inside her book, she is safe, even when fighting monsters. It is a paradise and an escape. Yet as Hayles points out, the Primer isn’t really utopia. It cannot shield Nell from the harsh realities of the real world. It may help her prepare for it, yet the book is not powerful enough to stop the bad.
As we were talking about in class today, I agree with you statement about Nell being a bit naive for her age. First before I go into this, I must first state that I do like Nell. Honestly her naivety and her escapist nature remind me of myself. I must admit, that if my younger childhood was filled with an absent father figure that was replaced by abusive molesting boyfriends, and my mother was neglectful I too would disappear into a land of fairy tales that told of a better life.
Yet, there comes a point in the story where Stephenson makes Nell's naivety unbelievable, and frankly I think it ruins her character for me. At the end of the novel she is 18 years old, and still portrays the escapists young child. As I know with my own personal problems, though I may use an escapist method, eventually one must deal with the issues bothering them. Nell is 18 years old, a time when posttraumatic syndrome should be kicking in, and yet she acts as though she lived the life of a kid who has never known pain. I'm sorry, but it's impossible for to believe that Nell character would truly act like this. As I said before, the novel ending like that made me lose the connection I had felt with Nell earlier in the novel.
Yes, you'd think she'd be completely messed up.
Really, my favorite character (or rather, the character that I found least annoying) was Miranda. Her story just interested me more than anything. The idea behind the ractive was different and I actually wanted to know more about it. Yet, sadly, she wasn't a featured character and sort of disappeared towards the end. Like Bud- I liked him too, but he died.
Posted by: Nessa at April 20, 2005 10:44 AM