Tyler_Durden

I recently finished Philip K. Dick's "A Scanner Darkly", and enjoyed it immensely. However, I was somewhat betrayed by my assumptions about the book's storyline before I started reading it. Basically, I was under the impression that as the story progresses, Bob Arctor/Fred gradually becomes increasingly unaware of what each half of his splitting personality is doing, until finally he no longer even realizes they are the same person. However, as you know, this is never explicitly made clear in the book, and I still can't help but think that it's a shortcoming on Dick's part.

I did not necessarily expect a by-the-numbers depiction of the splitting of Arctor's personality, but the fact that the novel flirts with the idea of Fred being unaware of his own actions as Arctor (e.g. in the sections where he observes the surveillance tapes) but never develops it to its full potential (i.e. the "what have I done?" doppelganger paranoia aspect) is to blame for my frustration.

In short, throughout most of the novel I was unsure of just how aware Fred is of the fact that he is also Arctor. I don't have the book on hand right now so I can't check, but it seemed that most, if not all, of the time he knew he was both men. Also, the book never made clear just how much Substance D Fred/Arctor was taking; I don't understand why - it would have been an effective way to disorient the reader and to add to the overall suspicious and ominous tone of the novel.

Also, what do you guys make of Barris's evidence that claims Arctor was involved in a lot more than Fred knew? The evidence is dismissed by Hank as fake, but I can't explain Barris's motives for going through all the trouble of framing Arctor as a terrorist or a militant revolutionary, especially if he suspected Arctor was an undercover narc.

Thoughts on this?

Mrs. Danger

It helps to have been involved in a drug culture. Fred never does quite forget who he is, he always is aware, at some level, that he is also doing other things, like editing himself out of the surveillance videos. He knows that he must be doing these things, and also that he HAS to supress that knowledge, in order to accomplish his mission.
There can be no "What have I done?" because Fred has a pretty good idea of what he is doing as Arctor, and also knows that he must not know, if he is going to stay Fred, which he has to do to accompish his goal.

Dick doesn't say how much of what drugs Fred is using, because FRED doesn't know.
All the stuff that goes on in the middle of the book is a side issue. Arctor has a specific assignment, and he DOES accomplish it, even though he has sacrificed his mind to do it. The very beginning, and the very end, are the important parts.

and, oh, Barris is just a prick who takes advantage of some coincidental things to make trouble. No particular reason, just because he can. That's how he is.

Tyler_Durden

I guess I can accept all that. But how did you arrive at the conclusion that Fred "has a pretty good idea of what he is doing as Arctor", but doesn't know much of Arctor's drug use? Anyway, I can even accept that he doesn't know (I guess with substance abuse it's often hard to keep track of your intake), but I can't understand why he wouldn't care.

In any case, it was probably this misleading text on the back cover of my copy of the novel that led to all these unfulfilled expectations (emphasis added):

Mrs. Danger

Never beleive the blurbs on back covers. My copy claims the book is a comedy!