When first reading Ryan’s Many Forms of Interactivity, I didn’t quite understand the purpose of a story being both external and exploratory. If the reader was neither a part of or had a lasting impact on the story how interactive could it really be? Both My Boyfriend Came Back from the War and My Body-A Wunderkammer display the power of hypertext and its use of fragmentation to display and replicate emotions. The external and exploratory nature of these pieces allows the reader to interact with the story in a way to truly understand the emotions of characters through the use of both fragmentation and multilinear narratives.
In My Boyfriend Came Back from the War, the divided black screen with blurry text shows the wide range of emotions between the couple. The constant confusion and incoherence the reader experiences mirror that of an argument going nowhere. The hypertext nature of the story allows the reader to step into the couple’s shoes. Although the reader is an outside observer, the fragmentation and multilinear narrative allow the reader to truly experience the confusion and uncertainty faced by the couple as they end their relationship. The confusion the reader is overwhelmed with as they interact with the choppy and bleak storyline replicates the disorder experienced by the broken couple.
The complexity and memories within one’s body are displayed in My Body-A Wunderkammer using fragmentation. Bodies are complex with marking and memories, and the hypertext nature of the story allows the reader to explore Jackson’s body in a multilinear way. The insecurities and the views of our body can be complex, confusing and often rooted in memories. The use of hypertext allows the reader to deep dive into the inner thinking of Jackson and how her memories connect to her body image. In Tattoos, Jackson first gives a general description of her tattoos but as you continue to click on the text you learn about the memories and experiences that inspired them. Very similar to the process of getting to know a person, the story begins with surface-level descriptions and as the reader continues, they randomly learn personal details about the author.