DeLillo's Allegory of the Monadanom

Paper Summary:

According to the writer, the characters in "End Zone" no longer use words to symbolize their physical surroundings. The paper show that the novel is a modern representation of Plato's Allegory of the Cave. However, the writer uses examples from the book to illustrate the deviation from the allegory. Within the paper we see how the novel works in creating a cycle, from the beginning and returning to the beginning.

From the Paper:

"Despite Gary's lackluster attitude, Myna goes on to relate Nemkhu's novel to him. Nemkhu' s work appears to be set in a primordial world. An atmosphere of "thick hard foam" surrounds the planet. The only existing land is a perfectly triangular mountain, which has yet to erode. The only life forms are the nautiloids, who live in a giant ocean under conditions similar to the prisoners' condition in Plato's cave allegory. The prisoners are chained facing the back wall of a dark cave; thus, their position is several times removed from the sunlight's presence, or Plato's idea of "true" knowledge. On the nautiloids' planet, the hard, thick atmosphere blocks any potential light from reaching the sea creatures. Even if light could penetrate through the atmosphere, the nautiloids, in their oceanic existence, would lack an absolute perception of it. The water would dim and alter the light before it could reach them. The nautiloids' communication system also alludes to their distanced perception. Although they have the power of ESP, they do not use it to convey direct thoughts from one to the other. Instead, they have constructed an elaborate numerical system to symbolize their thought patterns."

More papers on DeLillo's Allegory of the Monadanom:

• Essay # 40186 : "Plato's Allegory of the Cave and the Non- Material World"
• Analytical Essay # 141750 : "Plato's Allegory of the Cave"
• Analytical Essay # 141743 : "Plato's Allegory of the Cave: Critical Interpretation"

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