I had a harder time than in other episodes selecting a song that captured the central theme of this chapter. I could not decide between focusing on Ransom’s loneliness, his growing insanity, or his constant fear. Initially, I landed on fear so I temporarily chose “Fear of the Dark” by Iron Maiden. Great song for sure but after layering it into the bumpers and listening in context it just did not work (some of you may be thanking me for not using Iron Maiden). But Iron Maiden is slated for a very specific chapter later on so stay tuned. I ultimately pivoted back to U2 for our episode music which I think works much better here. And U2 will make also a few more appearances as we work through the rest of the novel.
Things are looking pretty grim for Ransom. Even though he has escaped, he is now completely alone, potentially millions of miles from earth, and on the run from people and creatures who want to kill him. He does demonstrate the ability to fight through his fears by trying to use reason. However, his fears keep cropping back up and he continues to mentally and emotionally tailspin. In a sad scene at the end of the chapter, a whimpering Ransom curls into a ball and talks to himself before going to sleep next to a stream.
Episode Roadmap
Chapter quote, intro, & chapter summary: 0:00 - 2:55
Chapter 8 Themes Analysis: 2:56 - 16:06
Theme 1: Loneliness and desolation; longing for familiarity 2:56
Theme 2: Fear 5:30
Theme 3: Vertical orientation / perpendicularity; upward direction 8:13
Theme 4: Reason, perspective; preconceived ideas being challenged or refuted 10:54
Comment on body position: 16:06
Wrap up
Episode music - “Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own” by U2
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