How does Dick’s essay (1999; 1964) illuminate his use of Nazism as a motif in High Castle?
Philip K. Dick (1999; 1964) employs Nazism as a motif in his novel of The Man in High Castle, which is mainly different interpretation of Nazism from what most people consider. Many people have criticized the Nazi Germans for their ideology and actions in WWII, but the majority of those who criticize ignored an attempt to understand the deepest sense of the reason for that. The connection to the psychological and emotional status of fear that they may have had, which often cannot be comprehended, has completely been neglected.
Dick claims that there were environmental factors, for example, socio-economical and psychological pressures after WWI that led them to another war. There was a Great Depression globally, but the Germans still had a huge burden of paying a great sum of money to the Allies countries. As it is human nature, the Germans could feel feared the power of the USSR, France and England, and possibly including the Jews, just as the way of all human beings would feel. The person who was in a high position of the SS in Nazi also had the fear that we all have although a matter fact. No one has a clear answer for the reason of phobia that exists in the depth of human being. It is basically a human nature that attempting to protect themselves when they have a fear of being killed otherwise.
Dick believes that the reportedly victims of Jews, particularly the Jewish nationalist fanatics, are also racists. Their behaviours in Israel after the WWII are an injustice and have no difference to that of the Nazi Germans.
Reference
Dick, P.K. (1995). Nazism and the high castle. In Sutin, L. (Ed.), The shifting realities of Philip K. Dick (pp.112-117). New York: Vintage.
You have done a very good work with your thorough understanding of Dick's thinking and his literal maneuver. During WWII, the Nazi Germans ruled the occupied Europe with an iron fist by killing and extermination, especially the Jews. They were excused because of their fear of US, UK and Russia and "most of all, of the Jews". They were excused because of the war debt, economic recession from WWI and the current years. So were we, as Dick emphasised in this essay, "all they knew was that they were afraid - afraid as we are, but not afraid of the same things". (Dick, 1995:112-113) It is this phobia which "springs from depths of the self unknown to the self." It is illogical to say that the Israeli Jews are committing the same crime nowadays
ReplyDeleteReally good response. I agree with your statement that his aim in his writing was to show that 'Many people have criticized the Nazi Germans for their ideology and actions in WWII, but the majority of those who criticize ignored an attempt to understand the deepest sense of the reason for that.' He showed that there were many factors that caused the German's to go to war.
ReplyDeleteA good discussion of Dick's essay - however it would be useful if you made some references to the narrative and specific characters in tMitHC as well - to develop the response further. For these responses always try and make explicit reference to the primary text.
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