The Reading Prismatic Arch discussion

There are a lot of things I think we can discuss. Here are a few questions I'd like to get some input on.

Who would you normally root for? A guy with the power to change the ugly dystopian world but is unwilling to do so? Or a guy who actively tries to harvest this power to change the world for better?

Do you think that George has found a way to stop his dreams at the end? Does the importance lie in his ability to control the dreams or to exterminate them?

Why do you think the aliens are the only ones who can save Orr? What do the aliens represent in his mind? In the new reality?

What is Haber's never-ending dream/nightmare? Why does he scare the other asylum patients?

Which of Orr's many worlds would you feel comfortable living in?

I thought the jump in his relationship to the lawyer was interesting. Upon his first meeting it mentions that he likes her, but it really does seem like a dream he had; he dreams they are in love and from then on the story changes to reflect that. Details like these add a dreamlike quality to the novel. There are some portions of the book which when I attempt to recall them have a very blurry/ dreamlike quality

After giving it more thought, I think o have to root for Orr. If Haber had a fool proof way to ensure Orrs dreams didn't get out of control as they usually did then maybe I could be supportive of his goals. But you have to admit that his goals aren't always without some self interest... He improved his social position repeatedly.

I would root for Orr. He wasn't unwilling to change the world, I saw it as him being afraid of making it worse or if should do things that could destroy people (like when the overpopulation changed). Plus I think one of the main themes was who should have power to be God, someone who wants it and molds things to what he thinks should be right, or the man who has no choice in what happens. Personally, I don't think it's that cut and dried.

George's dreams at the end still happen I think but they aren't driven by fear anymore. He still doesn't have control, though.

I don't think the aliens are the only ones that can save Orr, but I think they teach him to not be afraid.

Haber's dream is probably chaos, since that was what his "effective dream" unleashed and I think he is still stuck partly in that dream. Either that or it is a spinning top like in Inception.

The one with the horse in the picture would be fine I guess.

Lol, the horse picture one. That is funny Troy.

I was ready for George to make the point that in the society Haber induced using dreams, there would soon be no joy because the differences in Human life were being removed. People were losing identity, which in a lot of ways would be worse than death. Everyone is Gray? Selective genetics? Children separated from their parents? Yikes. Because of those points, I'd have to root for Orr. While Haber had good motives, you can't just change the world, too many unforeseen consequences.

One way to view Orr vs Haber is based on the phrase, "Just because you can do something, should you do it?", except Orr has the issue of "Just because you have to do something, are you able to actually do it?"

Some very good comments. Gray is a life with no excitement, sure it removed racial prejudices, but people that are bothered by such things will always be able to find things for which to dislike others.