Upon reading Neuromancer, I instantly became aware of the technological theme ubiquitous throughout the novel. William Gibson presents the connection between technology and life, immediately, in the first sentence: “the sky above the port was the color of television” (Gibson). The sky’s static, grey color sets the ominous mood that prominently carries within each line. This comparison of sky and television continues, as does their aura of toxicity. Case walks in Night City “under the poisoned, silver sky”. The resonating parallels between life and technology, the sky and television, television and poison caught my attention. At first I was not sure what this exactly meant, was it that obvious, technology is poison, or did it have a deeper, more cryptic meaning?
Then, there was one point where all my questions came to a clear answer, at least I think. In the beginning of the novel, Case is a thief, sick, suicidal, and an addict. When Case questions his life he is caught “staring up at the lights”. The lights, or technology, are what he turns to for help. The answers he has now are leading him on his injurious path. This path, however, seems to halt when he meets Molly and Armitage. At first, they both seem to help Case and turn him away from his past, unhealthy life, but I feel suspicious about both. Molly’s description smells of a technological scent: “[Molly] wore tight black glove leather jeans…that seemed to absorb light”. The light Molly’s pants absorb is the same light that troubled Case in the first place. Armitage tries to relieve Case of his disorderly condition, but fails to do so. He later places a deal with Case and mysteriously vanishes with his true identity and background still unknown, leaving this ominous ambiance similar to the tone the static sky made in the beginning. The characters of the novel also support the initial mood and tend to suggest the detrimental powers technology holds over society.
I am looking forward to seeing how the novel unfolds, as I could be incredibly wrong about these characters. Let me know if you found anything else about Armitage. I don’t like his suspicious demeanor.
[NOTE: I had to read the novel via free online text because the book did not arrive on time…sorry for the lack of page numbers!]
I definitely agree with the dark and ominous mood you pointed out. The fact that it reoccurs in several contextual patterns makes us read into how Gibson views this technologically advanced world. I can remember “Lifeless Neon” and “the air had gotten worse” (15) which prove the distasteful Gibson finds the situation. And a lot of it is true because we find that we, as humans, have turned our backs against the benevolence of nature. We only pollute the land, the air, the water for the sake of new technology. It only goes to create more defects to an already-endangered world. Also, I feel like the Armitage must have some hidden agenda, someone who knows Case well enough to control him in the manner he does. I hope to see where it goes.
Nice analysis of Gibson’s opening sentence and how he is leading us to feel about technology, Leo. I’m not entirely sure that I follow what you mean in your emphasis on “light,” but perhaps I can hear more from you tomorrow on the topic. If you simplify how you’re writing, it might make for a greater impact as well.
It is worth considering, of course, the extent to which we all benefit from technology. Is it really as evil as we might think?