I just finished Kallocain by Karin Boye and an very much enjoyed it. The similarities to We and 1984 are quite obvious, however I found some nuances that I found to be remarkably distinguished that I’d like to discuss/share:
* ‘what I am is on the way somewhere’ is how Rissen, who yearns for his humanity, describes what he is missing so badly. I love how altough he can’t put into words what he is missing, this is such an adequate description of some human quality that the world state can never succeed in taking away. Even though it’s completly non-present right now, it will somehow naturally emerge. Also the fundeamental truth of this is underlined as he states this under the influence of Kallocain. I like to think of the world state as a latter version of the party state of 1984, that has succeeded in purging even the thought of resistance (as that is how 1984 ends). The horror of 1984 for me lies in this very thought, that resistance is not only crushed, but made completly impossible. Rissen’s sense seems to show that even though it is gone, it is not gone for good, even though he can’t describe it anymore. This also made me reminiscent of the mystic ‘other’ state of mind that Ulrich and Agathe search for in Musil’s Man withouth Qualities.
* Loved the dream sequence where he walked through the destroyed city. Another great description of how underneath human qualities can prevail.
* I also like how, even at the end, he does not have any concret revolutionary ambitions. He merely wants to be in touch with his own humanity through community, so his resistance is an emotional form of resistance, not a political one.
* I did not see coming that he is imprisoned by the universal state, as I was sure he somehow gets denounced or denounces himself and gets his own Kalocain needle. Nice twist.
Theres many other things that tie in very well with the story, overall I think this novel is up there with the big dystopies. Feel free to discuss or share your thoughts if you have read it! 🙂
by s4lome_