dream_bladekindeyewear_1 | (no subject) (Reply)

y'know you could write a serious lengthy Foucauldian analysis of Homestuck

One of the ideas most central to Foucalt’s work is the Panopticon, a theoretical prison structure that is designed such that a single guard can monitor a very large number of prison cells arranged in a cylindrical pattern from a tower in the center, built such that the prisoners can’t actually see the guard. The idea is that the prisoners will inevitably end up self-monitoring their own behavior (and monitoring each other’s behavior) because, while it’s theoretically possible there’s not even anyone in the guard tower, that’s far too dangerous a hypothesis to test. Stories in which characters monitor each other in secret, or believe that other characters might be monitoring them, are pretty strongly in his theoretical territory. One really terrific example is Hamlet; if you’re familiar with its plot, those elements should probably be immediately apparent.
And that’s pretty much a central aspect to a huge number of plotlines in Homestuck! Everything from dream bubbles to Caliborn’s monitors center around the idea of characters watching, studying and surveilling each other. Time loops also play into this idea; they’re self-maintaining systems that don’t necessarily need a direct source that are made in such a way that they must work. Doc Scratch and Lord English work on an M.O. of monitoring absolutely everything, and (if the plan to strategically have Lord English attack specific locations works out) his inability to keep himself hidden might be his undoing. Caliborn’s chess game is another great example; by deliberately disguising key information, he gained an impossible upper hand.

Right! This is largely true, in a sense.

Lord English retains an informational and perceptual advantage on his victims, keeping them deprived of knowledge like the meaning behind the Ultimate Riddle to hide the impact individuals that might oppose him have on reality. He misleads their perception of events to disguise the true forces at work, getting them to believe that “magic” is responsible for their abilities rather than their innate power, calling items “magic” or “jujus” to keep people from questioning their true origins and workings; this act of perceptual shielding is an exercise of the Rage aspect, how possibilities are hidden from our view by secrecy, fear, anger, and intimidation.

However, a crucial session blanketed in Void restricts his vision somewhat. It means he cannot use Doc Scratch to omnisciently nudge events into his favor from the outside or preconditions, and has little choice but to step out into the open to conduct events.

Apart from however much his clownish servant can bring the young Caliborn his keys, inviting the destruction of the secrecy obscuring his view of their session.

2012-11-27