Thoughts on Absurd: Horror and Dollhouse
I was discussing some ideas for science fiction with friends yesterday, and the idea of a Gonzo was broached. As I understand it an absurd extrapolation written for both the humor and the rather unsubtle exploration of an underlying metaphor. It struck me this morning as I was listening to pseudopod that many of the great horror stories I read do something similar. The goal isn’t humor, but absurd extrapolation and/or overlly literal interpretations can be great ways to examine an important issue.
The story I was listening to this morning was Heartstrung and it tells the gruesome tale of women that LITERALLY wear their hearts on their sleeves. Largely it was an exploration of emotional suppression. Where MY mind went with this was the similarity between the emotionally suppressed 9 year old girl in Heartstrung and the dolls in Dollhouse. After hearing this story, the passive “Should I go now?” (a very similar, if not exact question was asked by the girl in Heartstrung) takes on extra levels of creepy. I’m left feeling that Dollhouse makes a bit more sense when viewed through the lens of horror.
The larger organization of dollhouses that’s gotten a few mentions in the series really looks like something that needs fighting. And what better group to fight them than a bunch of beautiful former dolls … Anyone else excited about Friday’s scheduled “Awakening?”
