Both geographic and ageogrphic spaces in Neuromancer operate as a ground for Case’s self-excavation. In the beginning, the two spaces exist as two completely separate universes. Case desperately seeks for a place where he could be included but both spaces are too inconsistent and hazardous to fully include Case in their world. In search for acceptance and in denial of the reality, Case wanders between the two spheres. However, through his constant transition between the two worlds, Case resolves his conflict. He realizes he belongs to neither the one world nor the other, but in both spheres, and learns to exist in two spaces as one.
Geographic space is a burden and an imprisonment for Case, where he has to face his reality. In the physical space, he is at the bottom of economic and social hierarchy, and his lack of artificial techno-implants differentiates him from the society. All the worse, his nerve system is slowly numbing from toxin sacs in his pancreas. As a lowlife, Case blames the cause to be the pressuring demands the higher and powerful beings puts upon him. He describes the Night City as “a deranged experiment in social Darwinism, designed by a bored researcher who kept one thumb permanently on the fast-forward button.” He believes the only way to survive is the keen awareness of the fast growing, outstanding groups. “Stop hustling and you sank without a trace, but move a little too swiftly and you’d break the fragile surface tension of the black market; either way, you were gone, with nothing left of you but some vague memory in the mind…” He admires beings that are not restricted by physical limitations, such as zaibatsus, who are abundant in wealth and power, and thus immortal. (P.203) Case is just an insignificant piece of “meat” in real life.
Perhaps that is why Case is so attached to ageographic space of Sprawl, or matrix, a virtual cyber space where body is no longer involved. Matrix is where Case really expresses his freewill and performs his unique skill as a cowboy. In it, he achieves his dream and finds his comfort. He would rather refuse the reality and be at his full self, where his “meat” no longer restricts him.
However, in actuality, the cyber space serves not as a hiding shelter from reality but as a guide for Case to solve his problems in reality: Case works in matrix under Armitage to remove the toxin sacs from his body, goes into Molly’s mind and body to locate and rescue her from Riviera, and he meets Linda Lee’s consciousness and understand and caress her guilty consciousness. Case’s inner conflicts such as low self-ego, helplessness, and misunderstandings of his lost love are resolved. Also, Case finds the humane side in himself. Wintermute questions Case of his love for Linda in the chapter 11. “Love. So you'd give a shit. Love?...You couldn’t handle it”(p.84) Case struggled over Linda’s death but he does not show it until later when he encounters Linda’s consciousness: ““Well, fuck you, whatever you’re called… So why’d you do it to me this way?” he was shaking again, his voice shrill.” Later when he leaves Linda, he takes off his jacket and gives it to her. “Maybe you're here. Anyway, it gets cold."” (p.144) Although Linda does not exist with a physical body, and she won’t feel the cold breeze, the object matter does not matter to Case. The scenes where Case meets Dixie in a ROM mode and hears about Molly’s past while riding her also show Case understanding the individuals as true humane beings. A sense of humanism that Case searched for in geographic space is revealed through the cyberspace.
What happens in geographic space, Case finds out from ageographic space, and what he learns from ageographic space, he applies back to the geographic space. Once he found that he could trust his own will in both geographic and ageographic space, he leaves Linda, the cyberspace, and leads 3Jane, Maelcum and Molly to complete the bonding of the two AI’s in the real world.
Case incorporates the two spaces as the supplements of each other and brings together both worlds to one reality. The matrix is the place where Case faces the reality and self-actualizes himself. The geographic place becomes the place for appliance. The two spheres eventually become the factors for Case to excavate his true self.
Citations:
1. Gibson, William (1994). Neuromancer. New York: Ace Books.
2. Olsen, Lance. Neuromancer. 1992. Web. <http://www.lanceolsen.com/neuromancer.html>.
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