The people of Santaroga

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The people of Santaroga (English original title The Santaroga Barrier ) is a novel by Frank Herbert . The novel is usually assigned to the genre science fiction . However, there are almost no typical SF motifs in the novel. The mind altering drug "Jaspers" is the only SF element. Apart from that, the novel represents a utopia or a dystopia , depending on how it is read .

action

The main character Gilbert Dasein is a psychologist who is hired by a supermarket chain to carry out a market analysis in the American town of Santaroga. So far, all branches of external companies had to close again due to a lack of sales. Dasein's two predecessors had died during their research in completely normal accidents. Dasein also has a private interest in getting to know Santaroga: his lover Jenny Sorge, whom he knows from his studies, is from Santaroga, and Gilbert hopes to be able to resume the relationship.

Gilbert's existence enters Santaroga skeptical and cautious. He quickly notices that the people of Santaroga have a pronounced sense of togetherness as well as exemplary sincerity and clarity. Vices like smoking and passive sprinkling from advertising or television are unknown. In the course of his presence in Santaroga he found himself increasingly attracted to these virtues of its residents.

At the same time, Gilbert Dasein notes that the city has some secrets: "Jaspers", an additive to many foods, is only available to locals; it is made in the well-guarded cheese cooperative. As a friend of Jenny Sorges, however, he is also allowed to take "Jaspers" and only experiences its mind-altering properties over the course of a few days. As a result of his change, Dasein becomes part of the people of Santaroga and can thus understand them in a way that no outsider could.

In addition to clearing up the mystery of Santaroga, the novel develops on Gilbert Dasein's being torn between Santaroga and the outside world. Since Dasein stands with one foot each in the corresponding social systems during large parts of the novel, it is particularly suitable for recognizing advantages and disadvantages.

backgrounds

Drug culture

The novel was written at the time when the mind-altering properties of LSD were first systematically investigated.

psychology

The names of the main characters, Gilbert Dasein, Jenny Sorge and Dr. Piaget, as well as the name of the drug, "Jaspers", show references intended by the author.

"Jaspers" refers to the psychiatrist and philosopher Karl Jaspers . For Jaspers and Martin Heidegger, the term “Dasein” describes the “whole transcendent person”, while Heidegger describes “concern” as that which “Dasein” takes care of. In the love story between Jenny Sorge and Gilbert Dasein, Frank Herbert deals with the existential philosophical conflict between worry in Dasein.

The children in Santaroga are led by Dr. Piaget, an allusion to the developmental psychologist Jean Piaget , educated, or from another point of view, conditioned.

Frank Herbert got to know the ideas of Karl Jasper and Martin Heidegger while studying in Santa Rose.

Subjectivity and objectivity

The novel questions the generally accepted objectivity of human perception. Only after being exposed to the drug "Jaspers" can he see his own subjectivity. Here are echoes of Karl Jasper's idea that scientific objectivity has its limits.

decision making

Gilbert Dasein finds himself in the situation of having to make a life decision without being able to fall back on objective or rational arguments. His intuitive decision-making reflects Karl Jasper's view that in an irrational world with a multitude of randomly occurring events, humans cannot help but make intuitive decisions.

Ideals of ancient China

The people of Santaroga live by some of the classic Chinese ideals such as an appreciation of the world and their life in it. The strangeness of this world is expressed in several places in the novel, when, for example, existence in the smiling but misunderstood and mysterious Santarogans encounters the Western cliché of the Chinese.

Freedom of the individual

One aspect of the novel is Gilbert's individual freedom. On his journey he finds himself forced to choose between two social systems: the world outside, the America of commerce, and the world inside, the self-contained society of the people of Santaroga. His desperation arises from the perceived need to choose between these two alternatives. However, he overlooks the fact that there could be other ways of life.

conversion

Gilbert's path into the world of the people of Santaroga has elements of conversion into a closed religious community. Characteristics are a division of the world into “we” and “you” without allowing a middle way. Jenny Sorge, Gilbert Dasein's lover, insists on living together in Santaroga; there is no alternative.

This group affiliation is recognized in some scenes by outsiders who exclude the people of Santaroga because of their differences.

Relation to the rest of Frank Herbert's work

Change of consciousness

The main character Gilbert Dasein shows parallels to characters in other Frank Herbert novels. For example, there is a drug-induced expansion of consciousness, as experienced by existence, also with Paul Atreides in the desert planet .

Utopia or dystopia

Frank Herbert says of his portrayal of Santaroga that "half of his readers would see Santaroga as utopia, the other half as dystopia". The sincerity, cohesion and community spirit of the people of Santaroga contrasts with the abandonment of individuality. A similar ambivalence can also be found in the world of the desert planet. The future vision of a perfectly governed society established at the end of the third volume has, in addition to its lack of freedom of choice, also attractive elements such as security of existence and peace.

Literature on "The People of Santaroga"

  • Timothy O'Reilly, Frank Herbert , 1981, Frederick Ungar Publishing (chap. 6), but out of print online at O'reilly

Editions and translations