earticle

영어

This study examines Lois Lowry’s novel The Giver in relation to Paul Virilio’s existential philosophy, particularly in terms of his key concept “picnolepsie”. According to Virilio, picnolepsie is the state of the perceptual recognition that is halted during on going sensory motor system. The time is still flowing, but the subject could not recognize the experience that happened within the time period. This is similar to confusion of memory. The Giver’s society is supported and maintained by science and technology without humanities’ insight and wisdom. The problem in this society, however, is that no one raises questions about the rules or control which surveil them as prisoners in Panopticon. The only thing people try to do is to avoid the pain that may be transferred through memories and history, so they choose one special person to hold the whole memories. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and also pleasure of life. But Jonas, a new receiver of memory, refused his allotted role and decided to embark on an arduous journey to Elsewhere. In conclusion, this study traced another possibilities of human existence through dialectical approach of time and memory absence of picnolepsie.