Blog Post 6

I am arguing for the resolution, that Snow Crash is a Hegelian story. I will be talking about the freedom of character-subject from Theatre of the Oppressed

Page 90 of Theatre of the Oppressed it talks about a specific characteristic for the construction of dramatic work; number three, second paragraph. Boal uses the example of a mother considering spanking her child because the child is thinking about eating a banana (kind of weird because wouldn’t you want your child to eat healthy food?). At any rate, this example reminded me of a passage from Snow Crash. On pages 349-350 Fisheye says, “The important thing is, Hiro, that you have to understand the Mafia way.” The Mafia is the more physically powerful mother while Fisheye is the physically weaker child with the banana. Fisheye was never forced to get Y.T. back from those assholes. It was a manifestation of an abstract policy goal (which Fisheye did not even know what it was)!

Fisheye has the freedom to obtain Y.T. back from those assholes or he torment the Mafia and not even try to get the girl back. The result of him not following the abstract policy goal would be detrimental but it is not absolutely mandatory. This passage shows what Boal was talking about in Theatre of the Oppressed. The mother has the power to punish the child because she is much bigger and can exert physical force on the child. The Mafia is much more powerful than Fisheye and if he does not follow instructions he would be banished. Fisheye, like the child in the painting, does not necessarily now the specific motive behind his “picked” behavior. Both have just been brought up to follow directions and not to go against the grain or else they will be punished.