Reina Buckley
October 14, 2014
Science Fiction-English 337
Prof. Joe Bisz
Schizophrenia in a Parallel World
Schizophrenia is a serious mental disorder that causes the mind and brain to lack the difference between what is real and not real, and can also cause individuals to not act normal in social settings. Marge Piercy author of “Woman on the Edge of Time,” helps us to explore the two worlds in which Connie Ramos lives in as well as allow us to meet the individuals that she interacts with in both her present and future. Although Connie is seen as a schizophrenic individual all through the novel she is an individual who is smothered by the wounds in which she has dealt with causing people to make this assumption of the disorder that has been …show more content…
While poor and struggling to provide for herself and living in an apartment building in New York, Connie is first introduced to someone by the name of Luciente who is an individual from her future. In Chapter One as Connie opens the door for her niece Dolly she states “I thought I heard voices. Is somebody here?”(Piercy, 2). Although Connie questioned her own sanity by stating whether or not she had seen Luciente, Dolly confirms Connie’s assumptions when she too states that she thought someone else was in the house with Connie. Not only did Dolly hear voices in Connie’s house when she waited for her to open the door, but as she sits at the table she states “The chairs warm” (Piercy, 1). [**WOW!! I TOTALLY MISSED THIS FACT… NICE PICK-UP!] This lead we the readers to believe that Connie did in fact see Luciente because Connie was home alone [YOU MEAN THAT LUCIENTE WAS FROM THE FUTURE AND LEFT THE CHAIR WARM BECAUSE HER BODY WAS REAL? OR THAT SHE WAS FROM THE PRESENT, PRETENDING TO BE FROM FUTURE?], and no one was sitting at the table with Connie before Dolly came to her house. I think that because Connie questioned her own sanity and was just discharged from a mental hospital, it gives the reader the impression that her imagination …show more content…
She then called on Luciente to help her, as she went on a scavenger hunt to help Connie find food she stated “It would be better if you coughed more, not less, and brought up the bad stuff in your lungs,” Luciente said. “Now sit under your tree and rest. They’ve made you weak in that crazy hospital. I’ll scout for water. Chew on the chickweed while you wait.”(Piercy, 235). This supports the idea that Connie’s vision of Luciente was not only real, but because Connie didn’t have a lot of experience of living in the wilderness, how would she had been able to survive if it wasn’t for the help of Luciente. How would Connie of known on her own which herbs to eat in order to stay alive? [HEH, I WAS THINKING THE SAME THING… ANOTHER FINE
October 14, 2014
Science Fiction-English 337
Prof. Joe Bisz
Schizophrenia in a Parallel World
Schizophrenia is a serious mental disorder that causes the mind and brain to lack the difference between what is real and not real, and can also cause individuals to not act normal in social settings. Marge Piercy author of “Woman on the Edge of Time,” helps us to explore the two worlds in which Connie Ramos lives in as well as allow us to meet the individuals that she interacts with in both her present and future. Although Connie is seen as a schizophrenic individual all through the novel she is an individual who is smothered by the wounds in which she has dealt with causing people to make this assumption of the disorder that has been …show more content…
While poor and struggling to provide for herself and living in an apartment building in New York, Connie is first introduced to someone by the name of Luciente who is an individual from her future. In Chapter One as Connie opens the door for her niece Dolly she states “I thought I heard voices. Is somebody here?”(Piercy, 2). Although Connie questioned her own sanity by stating whether or not she had seen Luciente, Dolly confirms Connie’s assumptions when she too states that she thought someone else was in the house with Connie. Not only did Dolly hear voices in Connie’s house when she waited for her to open the door, but as she sits at the table she states “The chairs warm” (Piercy, 1). [**WOW!! I TOTALLY MISSED THIS FACT… NICE PICK-UP!] This lead we the readers to believe that Connie did in fact see Luciente because Connie was home alone [YOU MEAN THAT LUCIENTE WAS FROM THE FUTURE AND LEFT THE CHAIR WARM BECAUSE HER BODY WAS REAL? OR THAT SHE WAS FROM THE PRESENT, PRETENDING TO BE FROM FUTURE?], and no one was sitting at the table with Connie before Dolly came to her house. I think that because Connie questioned her own sanity and was just discharged from a mental hospital, it gives the reader the impression that her imagination …show more content…
She then called on Luciente to help her, as she went on a scavenger hunt to help Connie find food she stated “It would be better if you coughed more, not less, and brought up the bad stuff in your lungs,” Luciente said. “Now sit under your tree and rest. They’ve made you weak in that crazy hospital. I’ll scout for water. Chew on the chickweed while you wait.”(Piercy, 235). This supports the idea that Connie’s vision of Luciente was not only real, but because Connie didn’t have a lot of experience of living in the wilderness, how would she had been able to survive if it wasn’t for the help of Luciente. How would Connie of known on her own which herbs to eat in order to stay alive? [HEH, I WAS THINKING THE SAME THING… ANOTHER FINE