What if Area X is a modern Wonderland?
So many writers refer to 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' and Jeff VanderMeer is one of them. What does link Alice in Wonderland and 'Authority' of the world of Annihilation? You will find out in this review!
If you think about it, Area X is a modern interpretation of Lewis Carroll's Wonderland. Both of these places are a natural habitat of madness. They both are uncharted and wild. They both deviate from a human logic or the laws of physics. Furthermore, Jeff VanderMeer purposely steers a reader towards linking 'The Southern Reach' series with Wonderland, using literal references. The most obvious one is a widely used in 'Authority' a symbol of rabbit.
Rabbits in 'Authority'
VanderMeer, just like Mona Awad, uses rabbites as a symbol of a guide, a guardian of a crossing point or a spiritual direction. These symbols originated especially in Native American beliefs and are still used in literature these days.
The Rabbit Border Experiment is an obvious reference to 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'. In the original Carroll's work, the White Rabbit is the one to make Alice enter Wonderland. Similarly, in 'Authority' rabbits are depicted as creatures connected to the border with Area X. Furthermore, rabbits are used to show the oddity of Area X. Parallelly, the White Rabbit is the first Wonderland inhabitant that Alice meets - he makes Alice aware about the weirdness of Wonderland.
Onirism
is a literary convention popularised especially in the 1960s. It implies creating a literary world in the shape of a dream id est illogial, irrational, surrealistic. In the oniric work of art an operation of any law isn't nessessary. Onirism is rich in different symbols and metaphors and widely rely on automatic writing (aka writing unconsciously).
The whole Area X is a land that seems to be originated in a dream. It's everything but a known and familiar place. And while reading about it, I felt the uncanny valey effect - I knew that it was too strange and alien to be a real place. Also the characters, like the biologist in 'Annihilation', question the logiacality of Area X. Also the border to Area X itself strongly refer to the numerous relocations in a strange way Alice makes. It's a propable referance to the Rabbit Hole, a construction Alice gets into Wonderland. What is more, similarly to Wonderland, Area X is also a place of strange deformations: for example wild animals are uncomfortably humanine. It's all pure onirism!
In 'Authority', onirism is used not only in the oddicity of Area X (that seems to be an absurdous land from a dream), but also in the motif of hypnosis. The main character of this volume, John 'Control' Rodriguez is hypnosied almost through the whole novel by his supervisor 'The Voice'. Hypnosis is similar to a trance, a dreamy derealisation. Thus, this rhetorical device indicates usage of onirism in the novel.
'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' is one of the greatest works of art representing the current of onirism in Western literature with its tendency to absolutely lack of logicality and absurdous events. A rabbit dressed like a gentleman, the Queen of Hearts playing cricket by flamingos and with hedgehog-like balls? It all crazy - again, pure onirism!
Furthermore, because of the hypnosis, 'Control' starts going insane. The luck of security and confidence in a realness of his memories makes the main character feel more and more like a madman. And what's the motto of 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'?
My short review
If you read my previous post about 'The Southern Reach' series, you know how much do I love this series! And the second volume definitely didn't disappoint me. Although the setting of the plot isn't as original as in the 'Annihilation', the crazy plot twists and the further exploration of the universum totally make it up. And also - what insane ending was that?! You're saying me that Earth will be in its apocalyptic period?! What?! I can't wait to find out more about the fate of this universum!!!
Cover image © HarperCollins Publishers. Used with permission.
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