Rahman​ ​1

Rahman,​ ​Zaheen

Essay​ ​2

English​ ​102

Conrad​ ​Scott

23​ ​November​ ​2017

1286​ ​Words

Effect​ ​of​ ​Social​ ​Control​ ​on​ ​the​ ​Protagonists​ ​in​ ​J.G​ ​Ballard’s.​ ​The​ ​Concentration​ ​City.​ ​and

Eden​ ​Robinson’s​ ​Terminal​ ​Avenue​.

Social​ ​Control​ ​refers​ ​to​ ​the​ ​ways​ ​in​ ​which​ ​we​ ​are​ ​governed​ ​by​ ​many​ ​forms​ ​of​ ​rules​ ​and

norms​ ​that​ ​are​ ​acceptable​ ​and​ ​through​ ​its​ ​help​ ​maintains​ ​social​ ​order​ ​which​ ​leads​ ​to​ ​the​ ​existence

of​ ​society​ ​itself.​ ​There​ ​are​ ​forms​ ​of​ ​Social​ ​Control,​ ​we​ ​could​ ​classify​ ​such​ ​being​ ​formal​ ​and

informal​ ​in​ ​which​ ​the​ ​latter​ ​is​ ​our​ ​conformity​ ​to​ ​various​ ​laws,​ ​rules,​ ​and​ ​regulations​ ​accepted​ ​and

enforced​ ​by​ ​members​ ​close​ ​to​ ​us,​ ​like​ ​our​ ​family,​ ​friends,​ ​peers​ ​and​ ​the​ ​like.​ ​Formal​ ​being

governed​ ​by​ ​the​ ​government​ ​and​ ​other​ ​authority​ ​figures.​ ​The​ ​Effect​ ​of​ ​Social​ ​Control​ ​is​ ​quite

vividly​ ​expressed​ ​in​ ​Ballard’s.​ ​The​ ​Concentration​ ​City​.​ ​Which​ ​is​ ​very​ ​much​ ​a​ ​form​ ​of​ ​formal

social​ ​control,​ ​which​ ​extends​ ​further​ ​on​ ​to​ ​a​ ​form​ ​of​ ​informal​ ​social​ ​control.​ ​The​ ​Effect​ ​of​ ​Social

Control​ ​is​ ​portrayed​ ​heavily​ ​on​ ​the​ ​protagonist​ ​Wil​ ​in​ ​Robinson’s​ ​Terminal​ ​Avenue​,​ ​as​ ​he

Struggles​ ​and​ ​copes​ ​with​ ​the​ ​rules​ ​set​ ​by​ ​society.​ ​There​ ​are​ ​some​ ​comparable​ ​characteristics​ ​on

the​ ​way​ ​the​ ​Protagonists​ ​in​ ​both​ ​the​ ​stories​ ​deal​ ​with​ ​their​ ​struggles​ ​against​ ​society​ ​which​ ​we

will​ ​further​ ​discuss.

In​ ​Robinson’s​ ​Terminal​ ​Avenue,​ ​the​ ​setting​ ​is​ ​of​ ​a​ ​near​ ​future​ ​where​ ​reserves​ ​are​ ​adjusted

for​ ​the​ ​natives​ ​and​ ​officers​ ​are​ ​assigned​ ​the​ ​roles​ ​of​ ​catching/”preying”​ ​on​ ​natives​ ​trespassing
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outside​ ​their​ ​designated​ ​areas.​ ​There​ ​is​ ​clearly​ ​an​ ​ongoing​ ​struggle​ ​between​ ​the​ ​Natives​ ​and​ ​the

Peace​ ​Officers.​ ​Wil’s​ ​Brother​ ​Kevin,​ ​left​ ​after​ ​the​ ​death​ ​of​ ​their​ ​Father,​ ​(125)​ ​joined​ ​the

Mohawk​ ​Warriors​ ​“when​ ​the​ ​bombs​ ​rained​ ​down​ ​and​ ​the​ ​last​ ​Canadian​ ​reserve​ ​got​ ​adjusted”

(124)​ ​“Wearing​ ​the​ ​Robin’s​ ​egg​ ​blue​ ​of​ ​uniform​ ​of​ ​the​ ​great​ ​enemy”.​ ​“But​ ​Kevin​ ​is​ ​dead.”(124)

Death​ ​here​ ​does​ ​not​ ​refer​ ​to​ ​Kevin​ ​physically​ ​dying​ ​but​ ​as​ ​he​ ​joined​ ​the​ ​“enemy”​ ​according​ ​to

their​ ​informal​ ​society,​ ​he​ ​is​ ​considered​ ​dead​ ​to​ ​his​ ​mother​ ​and​ ​everyone​ ​else​ ​related​ ​to​ ​them.

Kevin,​ ​on​ ​the​ ​other​ ​hand,​ ​argues​ ​that​ ​this​ ​decision​ ​he​ ​made​ ​against​ ​their​ ​social​ ​rules​ ​and​ ​norm​ ​is

for​ ​the​ ​better,​ ​to​ ​help​ ​them​ ​and​ ​their​ ​society.​ ​“I​ ​can​ ​stop​ ​it,​ ​Mom.​ ​I​ ​have​ ​the​ ​power​ ​to​ ​change

things​ ​now.”(124)​ ​But​ ​it​ ​was​ ​futile​ ​as​ ​he​ ​was​ ​exiled,​ ​thus​ ​further​ ​breaking​ ​the​ ​family​ ​apart.​ ​Wil’s

Father​ ​was​ ​also​ ​a​ ​victim​ ​of​ ​social​ ​control​ ​as​ ​he​ ​killed​ ​himself​ ​earlier​ ​(123).​ ​“No​ ​one​ ​was

surprised​ ​when​ ​his​ ​father​ ​shot​ ​himself.”(125)​ ​This​ ​tells​ ​us​ ​as​ ​if​ ​Wil’s​ ​father​ ​had​ ​committed​ ​such

a​ ​shameful​ ​act​ ​that​ ​it​ ​is​ ​“Acceptable”​ ​even​ ​or​ ​deemed​ ​okay​ ​that​ ​he​ ​should​ ​cease​ ​to​ ​exist.

Wil​ ​is​ ​unable​ ​to​ ​cope​ ​with​ ​these​ ​tragedies​ ​and​ ​visits​ ​Terminal​ ​Avenue,​ ​the​ ​nightclub

where​ ​he​ ​plays​ ​out​ ​fantasies​ ​that​ ​help​ ​relieve​ ​himself​ ​from​ ​societal​ ​pressures​ ​”He​ ​is​ ​not​ ​really

alive​ ​until​ ​he​ ​steps​ ​past​ ​the​ ​industrial​ ​black​ ​doors​ ​of​ ​his​ ​lover’s​ ​club”.(125)​ ​“A​ ​man​ ​walked​ ​in

with​ ​a​ ​robin’s​ ​egg​ ​blue​ ​uniform​ ​and​ ​Wil​ ​froze”.(124)​ ​However,​ ​according​ ​to​ ​his​ ​informal

society,​ ​it​ ​is​ ​prohibited​ ​for​ ​him​ ​to​ ​visit​ ​or​ ​partake​ ​in​ ​any​ ​activities​ ​in​ ​such​ ​a​ ​club​ ​and​ ​it​ ​is

punishable​ ​so​ ​that​ ​it​ ​is​ ​looked​ ​down​ ​upon.​ ​“He​ ​kept​ ​going​ ​until​ ​he​ ​was​ ​shaking..”(124)​ ​shows​ ​us

how​ ​traumatic​ ​the​ ​event​ ​was​ ​for​ ​Wil​ ​and​ ​leaves​ ​him​ ​literally​ ​shaking.​ ​Wil​ ​frequently​ ​visits

Terminal​ ​Avenue​ ​through​ ​a​ ​route​ ​and​ ​an​ ​Identity​ ​card​ ​“Occupation​ ​Waiter’​ ​“He​ ​pins​ ​it​ ​to​ ​his

jacket..​ ​So​ ​no​ ​one​ ​mistakes​ ​him​ ​for​ ​a​ ​terrorist​ ​and​ ​shoots​ ​him.”​ ​(125)​ ​This​ ​tells​ ​us​ ​how

segregated​ ​society​ ​was​ ​between​ ​the​ ​Natives​ ​and​ ​the​ ​others​ ​as​ ​it​ ​was​ ​so​ ​rare​ ​for​ ​one​ ​to​ ​be​ ​seen
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that​ ​they​ ​might​ ​even​ ​be​ ​considered​ ​hostile​ ​outside​ ​their​ ​designated​ ​areas,​ ​“He​ ​is​ ​a​ ​real​ ​living

Indian.”(125)​ ​further​ ​demonstrates​ ​this​ ​notion.​ ​Wil​ ​is​ ​finally​ ​caught​ ​and​ ​Punished​ ​accordingly​ ​by

their​ ​social​ ​rules​ ​by​ ​the​ ​Peace​ ​Officers,​ ​which​ ​is​ ​“beating”​ ​sense​ ​into​ ​him.​ ​Societal​ ​control​ ​has​ ​a

very​ ​large​ ​impact​ ​on​ ​Wil’s​ ​mental​ ​wellbeing​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​his​ ​family.

Ballard’s​ ​Concentration​ ​City​ ​focuses​ ​on​ ​Franz,​ ​the​ ​setting​ ​is​ ​of​ ​a​ ​future/present​ ​where

there​ ​is​ ​no​ ​concept​ ​of​ ​“Free​ ​Space”.​ ​Cities​ ​are​ ​dense​ ​and​ ​packed​ ​extending​ ​out​ ​to​ ​every​ ​possible

direction​ ​in​ ​a​ ​3d​ ​maze​ ​like​ ​matrix.​ ​The​ ​only​ ​real​ ​danger​ ​that​ ​this​ ​city​ ​experiences​ ​is​ ​fire​ ​as​ ​there

are​ ​monoxide​ ​detectors​ ​mentioned​ ​(79)​ ​and​ ​there​ ​is​ ​a​ ​group​ ​that​ ​is​ ​mentioned​ ​“Pyros”​ ​that​ ​are

blamed​ ​by​ ​people​ ​mostly​ ​for​ ​anything​ ​that​ ​happens​ ​-​ ​“The​ ​crowd​ ​roared,​ ​“Pyros!​ ​You​ ​bloody

pyros!”​ ​(79)​ ​Ballard​ ​uses​ ​the​ ​term​ ​infinitely​ ​more​ ​than​ ​once​ ​as​ ​Franz​ ​tries​ ​to​ ​explain​ ​what​ ​“Free

space”​ ​is.​ ​ ​Space​ ​was​ ​a​ ​quantity​ ​that​ ​was​ ​priced​ ​accordingly​ ​at​ ​different​ ​cubic​ ​meters.​ ​Franz

sought​ ​out​ ​to​ ​build​ ​a​ ​Flying​ ​machine​ ​after​ ​a​ ​dream​ ​where​ ​he​ ​was​ ​able​ ​to​ ​float​ ​freely.​ ​“Don’t​ ​be

crazy,​ ​Franz!”(75)​ ​exclaimed​ ​his​ ​friend,​ ​Gregson​ ​when​ ​Franz​ ​explained​ ​how​ ​the​ ​machine​ ​would

be​ ​able​ ​to​ ​“fly”​ ​in​ ​free​ ​space,​ ​the​ ​mere​ ​concept​ ​of​ ​which​ ​is​ ​unfathomable​ ​according​ ​to​ ​their

society.​ ​Franz​ ​is​ ​finally​ ​able​ ​to​ ​construct​ ​the​ ​machine​ ​and​ ​test​ ​it​ ​in​ ​a​ ​small​ ​area​ ​“It’s​ ​incredible​ ​it

actually​ ​works!”(77)​ ​further​ ​demonstrates​ ​how​ ​significant​ ​his​ ​invention​ ​was​ ​but​ ​unable​ ​to​ ​be

practical​ ​due​ ​to​ ​constraints​ ​on​ ​space.​ ​Frustrated,​ ​Franz​ ​sought​ ​out​ ​a​ ​way​ ​to​ ​find​ ​adequate​ ​space,

and​ ​ventures​ ​out​ ​on​ ​the​ ​Supersleeper​ ​(A​ ​form​ ​of​ ​vehicular​ ​transportation,​ ​like​ ​a​ ​train)​ ​on​ ​the

theory​ ​based​ ​that​ ​he​ ​will​ ​be​ ​sent​ ​back​ ​to​ ​his​ ​destination​ ​if​ ​unable​ ​to​ ​pay​ ​(80).​ ​Franz​ ​patiently

travels​ ​via​ ​the​ ​Supersleeper,​ ​taking​ ​into​ ​account​ ​how​ ​the​ ​prices​ ​of​ ​space​ ​drops​ ​as​ ​he​ ​goes​ ​further

and​ ​further​ ​West.​ ​A​ ​Surprising​ ​twist​ ​to​ ​the​ ​story​ ​occurs​ ​when​ ​the​ ​vehicle​ ​switches​ ​directions​ ​to

the​ ​East​ ​without​ ​Franz​ ​knowing​ ​and​ ​everyone​ ​in​ ​the​ ​vehicle​ ​shocked​ ​to​ ​know​ ​that​ ​he​ ​was​ ​on​ ​it
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for​ ​10​ ​days.​ ​The​ ​police​ ​surgeon​ ​takes​ ​note​ ​of​ ​Franz’s​ ​ticket​ ​and​ ​accordingly​ ​wishes​ ​to​ ​help​ ​Franz

“I’ll​ ​see​ ​the​ ​sergeant​ ​and​ ​get​ ​him​ ​to​ ​hand​ ​you​ ​over​ ​to​ ​a​ ​psychiatrist,​ ​he’ll​ ​be​ ​able​ ​to​ ​help​ ​you

with​ ​that​ ​dream.”​ ​(83).​ ​“”Look”​ ​he​ ​began​ ​to​ ​explain​ ​sympathetically”(83),​ ​this​ ​tells​ ​us​ ​the

surgeon​ ​felt​ ​bad​ ​for​ ​Franz​ ​as​ ​he​ ​tries​ ​to​ ​talk​ ​“sense”​ ​into​ ​him​ ​that​ ​he​ ​is​ ​going​ ​against​ ​the​ ​norm,

what​ ​the​ ​society​ ​believes​ ​in.​ ​ ​“The​ ​sergeant​ ​turned​ ​angrily​ ​to​ ​the​ ​man​ ​watching​ ​in​ ​the​ ​shadows

by​ ​the​ ​window”​ ​(75).​ ​Frustrated​ ​and​ ​losing​ ​patience​ ​with​ ​Franz,​ ​as​ ​he​ ​still​ ​holds​ ​onto​ ​his​ ​theories

the​ ​sergeant​ ​gives​ ​up​ ​on​ ​talking​ ​sense​ ​into​ ​him​ ​and​ ​hands​ ​him​ ​over​ ​to​ ​the​ ​surgeon.​ ​Franz​ ​once

more​ ​explains​ ​himself,​ ​the​ ​dream,​ ​free​ ​space​ ​and​ ​his​ ​theories​ ​of​ ​a​ ​flying​ ​machine​ ​and

floating(75),​ ​the​ ​surgeon​ ​picked​ ​up​ ​the​ ​charge​ ​sheet​ ​and​ ​threw​ ​it​ ​away​ ​having​ ​no​ ​way​ ​to​ ​explain

what​ ​he​ ​was​ ​dealing​ ​with.

In​ ​both​ ​the​ ​stories​ ​the​ ​protagonists​ ​Wil​ ​and​ ​Franz​ ​go​ ​against​ ​their​ ​social​ ​norms​ ​and​ ​they

both​ ​have​ ​some​ ​form​ ​of​ ​tragedy​ ​that​ ​occurred​ ​in​ ​their​ ​lives.​ ​Franz​ ​lost​ ​his​ ​parents​ ​in​ ​a​ ​collapse

and​ ​Wil​ ​lost​ ​his​ ​brother​ ​and​ ​father.​ ​Unlike​ ​Wil,​ ​Franz​ ​did​ ​not​ ​break​ ​down​ ​or​ ​act​ ​upon​ ​on​ ​that​ ​and

instead​ ​went​ ​after​ ​his​ ​own​ ​dreams​ ​and​ ​stood​ ​firmly​ ​in​ ​his​ ​logic​ ​and​ ​theory​ ​of​ ​free​ ​space​ ​and​ ​a

flying​ ​machine​ ​that​ ​went​ ​against​ ​social​ ​norms.​ ​Wil,​ ​on​ ​the​ ​other​ ​hand,​ ​lets​ ​out​ ​his​ ​feeling​ ​in​ ​the

fantasy​ ​land​ ​of​ ​Terminal​ ​Avenue,​ ​exerting​ ​“power”​ ​through​ ​fake​ ​peace​ ​officer’s​ ​outfit​ ​playing​ ​it

out​ ​through​ ​BDSM​ ​and​ ​his​ ​lover.​ ​The​ ​protagonists​ ​both​ ​in​ ​the​ ​end​ ​are​ ​subjected​ ​to​ ​higher

authority​ ​figures​ ​as​ ​a​ ​form​ ​of​ ​formal​ ​social​ ​control​ ​and​ ​are​ ​subject​ ​to​ ​different​ ​forms​ ​of

“punishment”,​ ​where​ ​Wil​ ​is​ ​physically​ ​punished​ ​for​ ​trespassing​ ​and​ ​Franz​ ​is​ ​interrogated​ ​and

subject​ ​to​ ​a​ ​psychiatrist​ ​in​ ​order​ ​to​ ​“help”​ ​him​ ​as​ ​he​ ​is​ ​considered​ ​crazy​ ​and​ ​out​ ​of​ ​the​ ​norm​ ​for

believing​ ​in​ ​things​ ​that​ ​are​ ​not​ ​accepted​ ​by​ ​the​ ​Society.
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Works​ ​Cited

Ballard,​ ​J.G.​ ​“The​ ​Concentration​ ​City.”​ ​The​ ​Best​ ​Short​ ​Stories​ ​of​ ​J.G​ ​Ballard

New​ ​York:​ ​Picador,​ ​2001​ ​pp.​ ​(123-125)

Robinson,​ ​Eden.​ ​“Terminal​ ​Avenue.”​ ​So​ ​Long​ ​Been​ ​Dreaming:​ ​Postcolonial​ ​Science​ ​Fiction

and​ ​Fantasy​.​ ​Eds.​ ​Nalo​ ​Hopkinson​ ​and​ ​Uppinder​ ​Mehan.​​ ​Arsenal​ ​Pulp​ ​Press,

2004​ ​pp.​ ​75-83