We Can Remember It For You Wholesale Analysis
“We Can Remember It For You Wholesale,” by Philip K. Dick is a short story about an average gentleman named Douglas Quail who has a fantasy dream of visiting Mars without actually physically going there. Therefore, he seeks a company named Rekal Inc., which has the technology to implant a memory of him visiting Mars. Quail eventually decides to go ahead and get the memories of Mars put in his brain. Consequently, the Rekal technicians observe Quail has already had a memory implant that erased his memories of actually visiting Mars as an undercover agent. Hence, during the last memory implant he had, he blew a government secret, which sparks Quail to try and run. Furthermore, it becomes very difficult for Rekal to establish the difference between
…show more content…
Throughout this passage, there are numerous overarching themes, the main ones being ambition, fear, and power. Through the utilization of imagery and flashback memories, Phillip Dick provides the eternal message that human desires must be strived for in order for a goal to be attained. Philip Dick heavily emphasizes the theme of ambition in this passage regarding Quail’s character. Quail wanted one thing before he died, and that was to visit Mars again. He was held back numerous times by a “stern-faced, elderly Interplan psychiatrist,” which mocked his fantasy of wanting to go to Mars (Dick 160). But this did not stop Quail from getting what he set his mind to, which was creating more memories of being on Mars. In the end, his determination of living out his fantasy dream came true as they did the memory implant. Phillip Dick builds up the anticipation of going to mars by utilizing the second person point of view when explaining the Mars trip to Quail in vivid detail. For instance, it is described as “you are nine years old, walking alone down a rustic lane…” (Dick 160). Thus, the use of the second person point of view sets the mood and tone of precisely what is going to occur in his dream. Also, Phillip constructed and enhanced the description of the
Throughout this passage, there are numerous overarching themes, the main ones being ambition, fear, and power. Through the utilization of imagery and flashback memories, Phillip Dick provides the eternal message that human desires must be strived for in order for a goal to be attained. Philip Dick heavily emphasizes the theme of ambition in this passage regarding Quail’s character. Quail wanted one thing before he died, and that was to visit Mars again. He was held back numerous times by a “stern-faced, elderly Interplan psychiatrist,” which mocked his fantasy of wanting to go to Mars (Dick 160). But this did not stop Quail from getting what he set his mind to, which was creating more memories of being on Mars. In the end, his determination of living out his fantasy dream came true as they did the memory implant. Phillip Dick builds up the anticipation of going to mars by utilizing the second person point of view when explaining the Mars trip to Quail in vivid detail. For instance, it is described as “you are nine years old, walking alone down a rustic lane…” (Dick 160). Thus, the use of the second person point of view sets the mood and tone of precisely what is going to occur in his dream. Also, Phillip constructed and enhanced the description of the