In the section “Refused Closure” Murray discusses how technology has changed our narrative so that we never really have to end the story. She elaborates on how we are allowed to take different paths when reading, continue to surf on the endless web, and use cheat codes to continue on in gaming.
Briefly at the end of the section, she states that “The refusal of closure is always, at some level, a refusal to face mortality. Our fixation on electronic games and stories is in part an enactment of the denial of death.”
We see these ideas used over and over in the human mindset now. We constantly start over wether it’s hitting the reset button on a console or getting a divorce or going back to school.
Has this disillusionment with finality been caused by technology or are we simply just reflecting our displeasure in having an ending with electronic narrative? I guess what I’m asking is which came first?
June 5, 2009 at 2:43 pm |
you do make a very good point. we humans do seem to have an obsession with starting over, like you said wether it be divorce or going back to school and technology seems to have picked up on those vibes. Maybe its in our nature to be insecure about our decision making and to always question ourselves. The what if factor is very appealing to us because it gives us a chance to see what could happen under difference circumstances and technology, is would seem, gives us an outlet to live out those experiences without the resulting consequence.
June 5, 2009 at 4:01 pm |
Nice Blog entry. It is true that we tend to want to start over, even in relationships after a feud. I do not think this idea of finality was first caused by technology. People probably decided such things before the digital age. Technology could have caused people to want to hit the reset button more often, because we know we always have that option. It’s like the cliche goes “It’s not the end of the world.”
June 16, 2009 at 2:21 pm |
A good start, Brittany. I need more discussion.