Subjective Reality in Cosmopolis: Challenging Perceptions

Cosmopolis, a novel written in the spirit of post modernity, challenges the notion of a structured universe with a singular objective reality. It posits that reality is instead subjective, highlighting the fact that as human beings, we all inhabit the same world but perceive it in unique ways, resulting in different individual experiences. This essay will explore passages from Cosmopolis in order to illustrate how Don DeLillo employs dialogue and character actions to build his case for subjective reality.

Additionally, it will examine the connection between DeLillo's theory of subjective reality and its relevance in the broader real world.

Before I start quoting Cosmopolis, let me give a brief explanation of the modern concept of subjective reality. This concept suggests that the perception of reality and the "truths" in the universe vary among individuals. This means that although there might be objective truths, each person perceives and experiences them differently. Due to each person's unique perspective of the world, everyone lives in their own altered state of objective reality.

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Cosmopolis contains numerous dialogues where characters discuss subjective reality.

In the novel Cosmopolis by Don DeLillo, discussions about subjective reality are scattered throughout. These dialogues serve as evidence that DeLillo intentionally included arguments for the existence of subjective reality. While one could argue that my own perception may have influenced my interpretation of the novel and that it is solely a product of my imagination, for the focus of this paper, I will assume that DeLillo intended to present Cosmopolis as a deliberate argument for subjective reality.

One of the first instances that made me contemplate subjective reality is when Eric and Shiner are in the limo. Shiner questions Eric about their location, wondering why they are in the car instead of the office. In response, Eric challenges Shiner's certainty by asking, "how do you know we're in the car instead of the office" (15). This quote exemplifies the idea that in subjective reality, one can never be completely certain about their surroundings. It suggests that regardless of one's actual location, they have the ability to choose to be somewhere else.

Eric is challenging Shiner to prove that they are both in a car and not in an office. However, these are impossible things to prove as a person can choose their location regardless of actual physical position. Shiner does not attempt to answer Eric's question, knowing that he cannot prove either argument. Additionally, Eric's decision to turn his limo into an office demonstrates that he can make it into an office through his actions, despite knowing that it is not actually one.

Both Eric and Beeno Levin, characters in Cosmopolis, possess an understanding of the subjective nature of reality. In a similar vein to Eric, Beeno also delves into discussing the perceptions we have of others and how these perceptions shape their reality. He states, "it is what people think they see in another person that makes his reality. If they think he walks at a slant, then he walks at a slant, uncoordinated, because this is his role in the lives around him" (57). Beeno presents two claims concerning the nature of individuals within reality. Firstly, he asserts that regardless of a person's actual actions, it is the perception of their actions that defines their reality.

According to the author's example, if someone believes a man walks with a slant, then in their perception, he indeed walks with a slant. Additionally, the author suggests that when referring to the man's role in society, it is solely defined as someone who walks with a slant. In Beeno's perspective, regardless of any other aspects of the man's life, such as his profession or family, he can never be seen as anything other than the man who walks with a slant.

The man can never be anything else unless Beeno chooses to see him that way. Near the end of Beeno’s monologue he also thinks that “world is supposed to mean something that’s self-contained. But nothing is self-contained. Everything enters something else. My small days spill into light years” (60). Here he is making another assertion on the nature of reality and how it relates to the world. When he says the world is self-contained he is challenging the idea that the “truths” in the world can be separated and neatly pushed into categories.

According to Eric, the world's elements cannot be separated and are merging together. There are no boundaries because one can perceive anything as something else, such as a limo being an office. In this quote, characters in the story directly discuss reality. During a protest, Eric and advisor Kinski talk in the limo. Kinski provocatively asks Eric about the flaw of human rationality.

When asked about the nature of human rationality, she responds by stating that it intentionally ignores the terrifying and fatal consequences that are often the result of its plans and strategies. Ironically, she argues that human rationality is not interested in aligning itself with objective truth. Instead, it strives to construct a distorted version of reality that disregards the actual circumstances. For instance, it operates under the illusion that capitalism is faultless and fails to acknowledge the glaring social injustices it perpetuates, such as the growing wealth gap between the affluent and the impoverished in the United States.

Although Kinski's comment about humans applies to humans as a whole, it can also be applied to individual human rationality. For instance, Eric persists in losing money on the Yen despite overwhelming evidence suggesting he should cut his losses and withdraw. He deludes himself by disregarding facts, denying what he observes, and constructing a new reality where he remains invested in the Yen and earns substantial profits. In Cosmopolis, some of my favorite moments occur in the final scene when Beeno shoots Eric.

The two individuals seem to have a mutual understanding and shared beliefs, including the idea that reality is subjective. At one point, Beeno becomes convinced that his penis is shrinking and retracting into his body, despite Eric's attempts to persuade him otherwise. Beeno states, "regardless of whether I imagine something or not, it is real to me" (192). Eric challenges Beeno to prove this by showing him, but Beeno refuses, stating, "I don't need to look. There are cultural beliefs. There are widespread occurrences where thousands of men experience genuine fear and pain" (192). Beeno is making a new assertion this time.

In his previous statement, he mentioned that an individual has the ability to interpret something, like observing a person walking with a slanted posture, in any way they desire, regardless of whether it accurately corresponds to reality. However, he now suggests that a person has the ability to perceive something that is not physically present when looking at nothing at all. This delves even deeper into subjective reality. While it is one thing to claim that something can be misinterpreted as something else, it is an entirely separate matter to assert that nothingness itself can possess qualities. Beeno even presents two different arguments to support his belief that his genitalia is retracting within his body.

Two points support the reality of this phenomenon. Firstly, the fact that other men have also experienced it validates its existence. Secondly, the fear is shared by thousands of other men, which signifies a genuine apprehension. This argument is rooted in the belief that the fear itself, even if the event is not occurring, is as real as if it were. It is another aspect of subjective reality. Beeno is fearful about something affecting his body, despite being unable to perceive it. However, this fear alone renders it real to him, regardless of its actual occurrence.

During the climax of the novel, Beeno is belittled by Eric. Eric informs Beeno that his reason for wanting to kill him is not good or admirable. According to Eric, Beeno is just another person who is killing someone without a valid reason. Eric states, "No. Your crime had no conscience. You haven’t been driven to do it by some oppressive social force. How I hate to be reasonable. You’re not against the rich. Nobody’s against the rich. Everybody’s ten seconds from being rich. Or so everybody thought. No. Your crime is in your head" (196). Eric aims to dismantle Beeno's justification for killing him.

Eric argues that Beeno's motives for killing him are not driven by a greater societal good or a desire to eliminate a corrupt wealthy individual. According to Eric, Beeno is simply killing him without any clear rationale or understanding of his own intentions. This sudden twist in Eric's viewpoint is surprising, as he has previously been portrayed as a proponent of subjective reality. However, his current stance appears to be that of a devil's advocate, attempting to dismantle Beeno's justifications.

After reading the book, I realized that Eric's sudden change might have been motivated by his desire to prolong his life rather than actually trying to dismantle subjective reality. In my primary school days, my good friend Martin, who is a genius, used to claim that the world would end when he dies. Despite not being a genius myself, I had many thought-provoking philosophical discussions with Martin. It was quite astonishing to encounter the same concept in this novel.

At the start of the story, Eric expresses his frustration with insomnia and ponders the idea that his death would also mark the end of the world. This quote exemplifies the concept of subjective reality, suggesting that each person's perception of reality is unique to them and ceases to exist when they die. Don DeLillo cleverly mirrors this theme throughout the novel's structure, making it a standout feature.

When Eric is on the verge of being shot, it becomes clear that his impending death will be the conclusion of the novel. The story concludes with Eric's final thoughts right before Beeno takes his life. There is no continuation after this point, signifying the end of the tale. It is significant that the novel concludes with Eric's very last thought, as it perfectly aligns with the narrative. The idea that the novel would end when Eric dies makes perfect sense since, as previously mentioned, his death would also mean the end of the world. Don DeLillo fully embraces the opportunity for experimentalism in literature offered by postmodernism.

Being an American, I have been taught that there exist rules and truths governing the Universe. It is believed that reality is inherently objective and one must simply interpret it accurately. The concept of objective reality plays a pivotal role in the efficacy of religious and political systems. Every religion asserts itself as the ultimate truth, and without the concept of objective reality, these religions would not flourish. Similarly, this holds true in politics, as ethnocentricity serves as a prime example of how people's belief in an objective reality impacts them.

Don DeLillo argues for the existence of subjective reality in his novel Cosmopolis, using dialogue and the actions of the main characters to debate and highlight elements of the theory. The analysis in this paper focuses on several quotations from different scenes, examining how each one represents an aspect of subjective reality. While subjective reality may have seemed implausible in the past, it is now gaining acceptance as we enter the era of postmodernity.