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In Chapter 20 we see Case jack into the port in the Library. Immediately Case undergoes a transformation. He seems to lose control over himself, haunted by his past. Case usually jacks into someone else’s mind, which gives him company and a sense of place. Yet in this scene he is lost on a beach. Gibson doesn’t just make Case lost though, he collapses and breaks down. The fact that he urinates himself is especially jarring. It his such a juvenile action, yet here is Case our ‘Hero’, though troubled we are routing for him, pissing himself. He loses control over his composure. It drew me into the scene more than any of the action scenes had up to this point.
Another moment in this scene that I thought was masterfully created was Case’s realization of where he is. His defiance against his situation moves him back into the badass category. I love when he says, “Mean, motherfucker,” he whispered to the wind.” (235) Case’s fight against this invisible enemy mixed with his inner struggle to remain calm transforms his character back to its original status. The reader can tell that he is in trouble and he knows it too. He has lost control over this situation.
This reminded me of Inception, in the final level of the dream Dom Cobb is forced to face the ghost of his wife that has haunted him throughout his mission. I am sure Inception has taken a lot from Neuromancer, but this scene is uncanny. We see Cobb return to the ruined city he built with his wife. He is forced to battle with his past whilst not losing sight of where he is. Case does this exact same battle. Though the scenes are different I think if you just focus on Cobb and Case’s emotions, mostly guilt and sadness, you will see the similarities. It is always in the back of the reader and, presumably, Case’s mind that he is flatlined with not long to live. The combination of confusion, fear and tension comes together masterfully to create what was one of my favorite scene in the novel.
Posted from My blog by Patrick H.