BLOG SIX.

I believe that Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash is a Brechtian story. Brecht would say that Stephenson created characters whose paths are dictated by the society around them. In Boal's book: Brecht says, "The character (in Brechtian stories) is not free at all" and he also says, "..for Brecht, the character's social relations create the dramatic action" (92-93). Based on these ideas, we can see the reflection of Brecht's ideas in Stephenson's work when we look at the characters and how they have altered to the drastic changes around them. Set in a society that is reminiscent of the America we know--we see drastic differences that change the way that people act. The main change being that of the addition of Snow Crash virus to the world. The main idea behind this virus being that it alters a person's world and their action. These characters are changing and their paths are being altered based on the society and things around them. Specifically, L. Bob Rife who wants to control everyone through "me" and his crazy religion--it says on pg. 406 "Once he converts you to his religion, he can control you with the " This clearly shows the Brechtian theme that characters are controlled by the society around them in a very literal way----because, of Rife's knowledge of the Babel, he is able to control others and the path that their life takes---literally taking their individual control away.