349 lines
21 KiB
Plaintext
349 lines
21 KiB
Plaintext
|
<20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20><><EFBFBD> <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD>
|
|||
|
|
<20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20><><EFBFBD> <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20><><EFBFBD>
|
|||
|
|
<20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20><><EFBFBD> <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20><>
|
|||
|
|
<20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20><> <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD>
|
|||
|
|
Mo.iMP <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20><><EFBFBD>
|
|||
|
|
<20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20><><EFBFBD> <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD>
|
|||
|
|
<20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20> <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20><>
|
|||
|
|
<20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD>
|
|||
|
|
<20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20><> <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD>
|
|||
|
|
<20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20><> <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20> <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20>
|
|||
|
|
<20><> <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20><><EFBFBD> <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20><> <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD>
|
|||
|
|
<EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20><><EFBFBD> <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD>
|
|||
|
|
<20><><EFBFBD> <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD>
|
|||
|
|
<20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD>
|
|||
|
|
ARRoGANT CoURiERS WiTH ESSaYS
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Grade Level: Type of Work Subject/Topic is on:
|
|||
|
|
[ ]6-8 [ ]Class Notes [Essay on Achilles ]
|
|||
|
|
[ ]9-10 [ ]Cliff Notes [Anophtheis ]
|
|||
|
|
[x]11-12 [x]Essay/Report [ ]
|
|||
|
|
[ ]College [ ]Misc [ ]
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Dizzed: 10/94 # of Words:3325 School: ? State: ?
|
|||
|
|
<EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD>><3E><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD>><3E><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD>>Chop Here><3E><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD>><3E><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD>><3E><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD>><3E><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD>
|
|||
|
|
Achilles Anophtheis (Achilles revisited)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The director walked onto the stage, gingerly adjusting his radiation
|
|||
|
|
mask in order to fit the microphone beneath it. His nervous cough boomed
|
|||
|
|
through the hall. After shuffling the papers on the podium before him, he
|
|||
|
|
began.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"Welcome ladies and gentlemen of the Pre-Apocalypse Archaeological
|
|||
|
|
Society. We have called this session to impart to you a matter of the
|
|||
|
|
utmost importance, a discovery of the highest order. As you are aware, our
|
|||
|
|
teams have only recently been able to sift through the debris of the razed
|
|||
|
|
cities of our belligerent predecessors, thanks to the efforts of our
|
|||
|
|
colleagues at the Physical Research Society who, with the aid of Allah,
|
|||
|
|
have made our task infinitely easier with the invention of a radiation suit
|
|||
|
|
which allows our field workers to work even in areas of the highest
|
|||
|
|
radiation concentration: the cities of what was formerly the United States
|
|||
|
|
of America. The discoveries are literally pouring in, and we have our
|
|||
|
|
hands full simply cataloguing the numerous finds. Our first find was a
|
|||
|
|
small rectangular object, containing a spool of thin ribbon, which one of
|
|||
|
|
our historians identified as what was known as a cassette. Simply put, it
|
|||
|
|
was a device on which sounds could be recorded. From its small size, our
|
|||
|
|
historian conjectured that it was of a type designed for recording the
|
|||
|
|
human voice rather than music. Armed with this belief, we managed to
|
|||
|
|
convince the Censor Society to allow us to reconstruct the primitive
|
|||
|
|
machine to play back the message we hoped it would contain. They agreed;
|
|||
|
|
on the condition that we did not do so until they had a chance to screen it
|
|||
|
|
for the negative influences that caused the downfall of the last corrupt
|
|||
|
|
civilization. They duly approved it and we are now ready for its first
|
|||
|
|
public presentation.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"Before we begin, I would like to explain some of the terms used in the
|
|||
|
|
recording, for those of you who lack the benefit of an historical training.
|
|||
|
|
The tape is evidently the recording of a psychologist. You are all aware
|
|||
|
|
that the sacrilege which led to the destruction of the Nuclear Age was
|
|||
|
|
primarily caused by the decline in religious belief and values. A
|
|||
|
|
psychologist was the person who supplanted the role of the confessor in
|
|||
|
|
this blasphemous time. He labored under the delusion that the immortal
|
|||
|
|
soul was accessible on a scientific, human level; and, like most of the
|
|||
|
|
scientists of the day, impiously discounted Allah as an unnecessary
|
|||
|
|
complication. We found an infamous saying which pervaded much of the Pre-
|
|||
|
|
Apocalypse literature: `Religion is the opiate of the people'. Well,
|
|||
|
|
psychology became the new `opiate of the people.'
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The patient with whom the doctor is dealing with in the recording, has
|
|||
|
|
been identified as a prominent businessman of the day. He is what was
|
|||
|
|
called an arbitrageur. A man who specialized in dealings on their stock
|
|||
|
|
market, a term I am sure all of you are familiar with. In any case, an
|
|||
|
|
arbitrageur bought and sold companies for a profit. In the few pieces of
|
|||
|
|
literature we have been able to recover, it seems that such men were
|
|||
|
|
regarded as the heroes of their age. I refer of course to the numerous
|
|||
|
|
copies we have of the autobiographies of Donald Trump, Robert Campeau and
|
|||
|
|
the like. Evidently the culture considered these books to be of great
|
|||
|
|
importance, for we found huge amounts of them in large buildings. This was
|
|||
|
|
apparently for safekeeping since the storage facilities were located well
|
|||
|
|
away from the centres of attack in the event of a nuclear war. The
|
|||
|
|
periodicals of the day also reflect the reverence in which these men were
|
|||
|
|
held, as they are frequently mentioned. It is another mark of the
|
|||
|
|
degradation of the society that the primary estimate of a man's worth
|
|||
|
|
became the amount of money he earned. It is difficult in this holy age to
|
|||
|
|
conceive of such blasphemy, but it is necessary that we do so in order to
|
|||
|
|
avoid the same traps into which they fell. We have managed to reconstruct
|
|||
|
|
the scenario as far as was possible, but we endeavored to retain all of the
|
|||
|
|
original conversation in addition to our own narration. I don't think that
|
|||
|
|
there is anything further that you need to know about the recording, except
|
|||
|
|
perhaps that it appears to be incomplete. I would ask that you remain as
|
|||
|
|
silent as possible, because the tape is of very low quality and the accent
|
|||
|
|
is very difficult to understand. If you are having trouble, I suggest that
|
|||
|
|
you follow along in the transcripts with which we have provided you." The
|
|||
|
|
Director signaled for the tape to begin, and left the stage.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Dr. Zeis loaded the cassette into the machine and tested it. It
|
|||
|
|
wouldn't do to have it chew up the tape again, especially not for so
|
|||
|
|
important a patient: the sort of patient who could make his career . . .
|
|||
|
|
or break it. He knew he couldn't afford to squander his good fortune. As
|
|||
|
|
his mind wandered over the seemingly endless ramifications of success, the
|
|||
|
|
static crackle of the intercom interrupted his reveries. It was his
|
|||
|
|
secretary warning him that Mr. Reussi was on his way in. The doctor
|
|||
|
|
rewound the tape and offered up a quick prayer that it would work. The
|
|||
|
|
door swung open and one of the world's richest, most powerful men strode
|
|||
|
|
in.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Mr. Oswald Achilles Reussi had made his fortune by taking over
|
|||
|
|
companies and turning them around. He was able to start at such a high
|
|||
|
|
level because of the substantial inheritance he had received from his
|
|||
|
|
father. He was rich enough to ensure that he received only the best sort
|
|||
|
|
of publicity, and that was why he had been so irate when the media learned
|
|||
|
|
that he was in therapy and had printed the story with a glee that only
|
|||
|
|
those who made their living from sordid details were capable of acquiring.
|
|||
|
|
Dr. Zeis had regretted his indiscretion, but that sort of publicity was
|
|||
|
|
simply too tempting to resist. He had only been able to calm the fuming
|
|||
|
|
man by convincing him that it was essential that he not be afraid of the
|
|||
|
|
stigma of therapy in order for it to work for him. An old dodge, but it had
|
|||
|
|
performed its function and placated the incensed patient.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Oswald crossed the room with a gruff greeting (Dr. Zeis had learned
|
|||
|
|
early that this was not a man to waste time). He took his customary
|
|||
|
|
position, sprawled on the couch. Dr. Zeis did not place any value in
|
|||
|
|
Freud's theories regarding the merits of the couch, but he didn't have the
|
|||
|
|
heart, or the nerve, to object.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"Well Mr. Reussi," he began, glancing down at the few notes he had been
|
|||
|
|
able to salvage from the previous session's mangled tape, "last week, we
|
|||
|
|
established with a fair degree of certainty, that you are suffering from an
|
|||
|
|
unresolved Oedipus complex. This, in turn, has contributed to your
|
|||
|
|
success, by engendering in you a sense of competition with your father.
|
|||
|
|
The matter was not helped by the fact that you frequently suffered
|
|||
|
|
comparison with him in your youth.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"This week I hope to confirm the conclusions we drew through a brief
|
|||
|
|
examination of your present life. This examination will, hopefully, yield
|
|||
|
|
manifestations of this dysfunction, and then we may direct our efforts to
|
|||
|
|
its resolution. So, perhaps you could tell me about what is troubling you
|
|||
|
|
most at present." Oswald shifted uncomfortably and seemed to be searching
|
|||
|
|
for a topic. He eventually settled, and began.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"You've probably heard about my attempted takeover of Trojan Inc., the
|
|||
|
|
rubber company. I was not in it for the money, I suppose that all I really
|
|||
|
|
wanted was to complete a deal of historic proportions. At any rate, I had
|
|||
|
|
submitted a bid, and, because of the amount of money involved, didn't
|
|||
|
|
expect to encounter any serious competition. The board of directors was
|
|||
|
|
not very happy with the offer, but I knew the shareholders would not allow
|
|||
|
|
such an opportunity to pass them by. Just when I was hammering out the
|
|||
|
|
final details and preparing to submit the offer to the Securities
|
|||
|
|
Commission for final approval, a former friend of mine, Alexander Atreides,
|
|||
|
|
came in and pulled a white knight, right under my nose."
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"I'm sorry," the doctor interrupted, "but I'm afraid you'll have to
|
|||
|
|
explain technical terms to me; I'm not well versed in the language of
|
|||
|
|
business. I don't understand what you mean by a `white knight'."
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
" Oh, that's fairly straightforward. A white knight refers to a
|
|||
|
|
strategy that companies use to prevent being taken over by a hostile party.
|
|||
|
|
They find someone who they would like to take over the company, and then
|
|||
|
|
they convince him to undertake the attempt by promising him the endorsement
|
|||
|
|
of the board of directors. Although in this case, Alexander offered his
|
|||
|
|
services to the directors, convincing them with guarantees of job security.
|
|||
|
|
So the board naturally jumped at the chance, and he stole the company from
|
|||
|
|
right under me."
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"How do you feel about his actions?"
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"I was angry at first, but now he's in serious financial trouble
|
|||
|
|
because his attempt to pull off `the greatest takeover in history' is being
|
|||
|
|
stalled by the company's Chief Executive Officer." "I read something about
|
|||
|
|
it in the paper. He's attempting to take over Trojan, but the head of the
|
|||
|
|
company, Hector Prince, won't let him."
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"That's right." replied Oswald. "Trojan is the world's largest
|
|||
|
|
manufacturer of condoms, and with the present scare over social diseases,
|
|||
|
|
it's business is booming. They also own several tire companies; basically,
|
|||
|
|
they own anything that involves the use of rubber."
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"Can you help Mr. Atreides?" asked the psychologist.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"Yes, but I'm not going to. I believe that this is some sort of divine
|
|||
|
|
retribution. Fate is paying him back for cheating me out of my company."
|
|||
|
|
said Oswald complacently.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"Did he do something illegal?"
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"You mean in stealing Trojan from me?" The doctor nodded.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"Not really, but it's not the sort of thing one does to one's friends.
|
|||
|
|
I mean he knew that I wanted the takeover, and that this company was the
|
|||
|
|
target I had chosen over five years ago. I had just been biding my time
|
|||
|
|
until an opportunity presented itself; and when it did, he was right there
|
|||
|
|
to take advantage of things I had told him as a friend . . . confidential
|
|||
|
|
things." "Mr. Reussi, I have heard nearly enough," the doctor said, putting
|
|||
|
|
down his notebook, "but there is one more thing that I need to know. If
|
|||
|
|
Mr. Atreides had not done what he did in the Trojan takeover, would you
|
|||
|
|
help him to defeat Hector?" "I would jump at the chance of making that dog
|
|||
|
|
Hector squirm. He's one of the most despicable men I know. He never fails
|
|||
|
|
to point out that my father married into money, while his family is one of
|
|||
|
|
those that trace their ancestry to the Mayflower."
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"Then, if I may, I suggest that you go to Mr. Atreides' aid." the
|
|||
|
|
doctor knew that this would not be received warmly and was prepared to
|
|||
|
|
defend it. "Why should I help Alexander? He's as much of a bastard as
|
|||
|
|
Hector!" The doctor cleared his throat.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"Firstly, it would be to both of your advantages to see Mr. Prince out.
|
|||
|
|
You've already stated that you would like to see him squirm, well here's
|
|||
|
|
your chance. And to top it all, you would have a chance to be part of the
|
|||
|
|
largest takeover in history. You stated yourself that this was your main
|
|||
|
|
motive in the matter." "It's true that I would like to see Hector squirm,
|
|||
|
|
but I hate to have to save Alexander in the process." said Oswald
|
|||
|
|
doubtfully.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"Secondly, we have already established that you have an unresolved
|
|||
|
|
Oedipus complex and-" "I'm not absolutely certain that I understand what it
|
|||
|
|
is to have an `unresolved Oedipus complex'," Oswald interrupted.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"I apologize for not clarifying my psychological terms for you. An
|
|||
|
|
Oedipus complex, as you are probably aware, is a normal childhood
|
|||
|
|
phenomena. Because of the child's natural love for his mother, he views
|
|||
|
|
his father as being in competition with him for that love, and, as a
|
|||
|
|
result, develops a hatred of him. The complex is usually resolved by the
|
|||
|
|
child's development of a `castration complex.' Two primary reasons
|
|||
|
|
contribute to this: first the child is frequently scolded for touching his
|
|||
|
|
genital area, and, secondly he may see a naked girl and believe that she
|
|||
|
|
has been punished for the same crime, by having the offending organ
|
|||
|
|
amputated. In his irrational fear of castration, the boy tries to
|
|||
|
|
compensate by ridding himself of all thoughts of hatred by repression, and
|
|||
|
|
attempts to love his father. Naturally, this is a drastically simplified
|
|||
|
|
explanation of a complicated process. Do you understand now?" asked Dr.
|
|||
|
|
Zeis. "Yes. You believe that I did not suffer from this . . . uhh . . . "
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"Castration complex?" offered the doctor. "That's it," said Oswald,
|
|||
|
|
"and therefore I never overcame the sense of competition with my father."
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"Yes," confirmed the psychologist, "that's it in a nutshell. You see,
|
|||
|
|
you were never really around your parents when you were a child, and
|
|||
|
|
because they spent so little time with you, they were loathe to scold you.
|
|||
|
|
Also you said yourself that you frequently suffered comparison with your
|
|||
|
|
father when you were a child, and this served to enhance the sense of
|
|||
|
|
competition. So now I am attempting to suggest a therapy that will aid you
|
|||
|
|
in overcoming your dysfunction." "But how will helping Alexander accomplish
|
|||
|
|
anything?" asked Oswald dubiously.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"The only way to triumph over the problem is to consciously avoid
|
|||
|
|
behaviour that it causes. And the scenario you have just presented to me
|
|||
|
|
involving your friend, Mr. Atreides, is just such behaviour." explained the
|
|||
|
|
doctor. "You mean to say that I am merely acting under a compulsion when I
|
|||
|
|
refuse to aid Alexander?" asked Oswald dubiously. The doctor nodded. "But
|
|||
|
|
wouldn't you do the same thing if a friend of yours stabbed you in the back
|
|||
|
|
like he has done to me? and stolen my dream?" asked Oswald.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"I anticipated this objection." said the doctor complacently.
|
|||
|
|
"That is why I have a third reason. Ask yourself, if you were in
|
|||
|
|
his position would you have acted similarly?"
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"Well . . . " hesitated Oswald.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"You see that such behaviour is common in the business world,
|
|||
|
|
and you would probably have done the same had the roles been
|
|||
|
|
reversed." said the doctor triumphantly. "What you must realize
|
|||
|
|
is that all these years of competition have made you unable to
|
|||
|
|
accept defeat. The only way you can accept losing to Mr. Atreides
|
|||
|
|
without causing yourself considerable mental anguish, is by being
|
|||
|
|
a factor in his destruction, taking your revenge."
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"I still don't know," said Oswald doubtfully, "I can't-" The sound of a
|
|||
|
|
telephone ringing broke into the conversation. A look of anger passed
|
|||
|
|
across the doctor's face as he stood up to answer it.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"I apologize Mr. Reussi," he said. "I thought I told my receptionist
|
|||
|
|
to hold all my calls." "No need to apologize," said Oswald, pulling a
|
|||
|
|
handsized, rectangular object from his pocket. "I believe it's my phone."
|
|||
|
|
He unfolded the phone and extended a concealed antenna. "Yes?" he said
|
|||
|
|
tersely, and listened for a few seconds, his face growing taut. "Are you
|
|||
|
|
sure?" he asked. After listening for a few more seconds, he folded the
|
|||
|
|
phone back up and folded the antenna.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"That was a friend of mine," he explained, "Robert Patrolo, telling me
|
|||
|
|
that his company was just taken over by Trojan. Hector's first move upon
|
|||
|
|
gaining control was to have him removed from the chairmanship. Hector knew
|
|||
|
|
that would get me." He remained seated for a few seconds and then stood
|
|||
|
|
up, pulling on his jacket.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"I believe you are right doctor." he said. "I am going to help Mr.
|
|||
|
|
Atreides; and when we succeed I'm going to throw Hector out like a dog."
|
|||
|
|
and so saying, he left the room. The doctor sat down again. He wondered
|
|||
|
|
over the man's motives, and came to the conclusion that he had not
|
|||
|
|
accomplished very much. All Reussi was doing was transferring his wrath
|
|||
|
|
from Mr. Atreides to Hector.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"Ah well," he thought, "I shall have to try a different approach next
|
|||
|
|
week." He pressed the stop button on his tape recorder.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The Director returned to the stage and signaled for the tape to be
|
|||
|
|
stopped. "I believe, gentlemen, that you are all aware of the profane
|
|||
|
|
theories of Sigmund Freud?" he glance around the auditorium observing their
|
|||
|
|
nods.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"Well, for the first time, we are able to see those fanciful theories
|
|||
|
|
in actual application, rather than in text. The members of the Censor
|
|||
|
|
Society have graciously permitted us to listen to this recording in order
|
|||
|
|
to allow us to see the depths to which rationality can plunge. We must
|
|||
|
|
remember, as we attempt to rebuild our society, that the only way is God's
|
|||
|
|
way, as specifically set out in our sacred Books. I hope that you have
|
|||
|
|
gleaned the dire lesson that this recording has to offer. We must, at all
|
|||
|
|
costs, avoid the unplumbable depths of depravity to which the Nuclear Age
|
|||
|
|
descended, and construct our Society in accordance with the decrees of God.
|
|||
|
|
Praise God!"
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The audience rose and emphatically returned his farewell, well aware
|
|||
|
|
that they were being closely observed, and that any failure could result in
|
|||
|
|
the severest consequences.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Epilogue
|
|||
|
|
The first order of business seems to be to acknowledge my debt, both in
|
|||
|
|
order to avoid accusations of plagiarism and subsequent litigation. The
|
|||
|
|
difficulty is that my debt extends to every book I have read since the age
|
|||
|
|
of five. I can, however, endeavor to mention the more obvious ones. The
|
|||
|
|
idea of couching the main story in a larger context of a later civilization
|
|||
|
|
is borrowed from Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, and the main story
|
|||
|
|
is an attempt (an enormously presumptuous one at that) to compress and
|
|||
|
|
modernize Homer's Iliad. I also owe a great deal to Sigmund Freud's
|
|||
|
|
writings, although I am certain that he would not admit to being the source
|
|||
|
|
of this perversion of his theories, were he alive to object. All that now
|
|||
|
|
remains is to offer a brief explanation of the story itself, perhaps
|
|||
|
|
something along the lines of Dante's letter to Can Grande Della Scala. The
|
|||
|
|
story is basically a modernization of the themes of the Iliad. In order to
|
|||
|
|
retain the father-son theme, I used an unresolved Oedipus complex.
|
|||
|
|
Achilles' wrath is again shifted from Agamemmnon to Hector, although, as
|
|||
|
|
they say, the names have been changed to protect the innocent. I was at a
|
|||
|
|
loss to include an invocation to the Muse, but I eventually came up with
|
|||
|
|
the idea that a tape recorder might be a solution to the problem. What
|
|||
|
|
else is a tape recorder if not an aid to memory? "In fulfillment of the
|
|||
|
|
will of Zeus" is another theme of the Iliad. In order to include it, I
|
|||
|
|
interpreted the gods as psychological phenomena, and, therefore, the
|
|||
|
|
compulsions of the unresolved complex which affects Achilles behaviour is
|
|||
|
|
the re-internalization of Homer's externalization of internal psychic
|
|||
|
|
activities. (I think drawing a diagram may help you decipher that last
|
|||
|
|
sentence.) The last theme, of corpses being left as carrion for the dogs,
|
|||
|
|
was relegated to a minor position: a few gratuitous remarks of Achilles to
|
|||
|
|
the way he was going to treat Hector. The task is now complete. I hope you
|
|||
|
|
enjoyed the story as much as I hated writing it. Before you mark it, allow
|
|||
|
|
me to interject a quick quote from Shakespeare: "The quality of mercy is
|
|||
|
|
not strain'd". Thanks for an illuminating, enchanting course. See you in
|
|||
|
|
January.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Yours in Homer,
|