High Rise by James Ballard

Categories: Tragedy

As the storyline progresses Wilder unravels to reveal his true intentions of reaching superiority over all those in the high rise, almost as if anything less would be emasculating. This idea is reinforced across the storyline as (mainly male) characters are keen to defend their level from those on lower floors wishing to challenge the structurally integrated social hierarchy of the building. Wilders need to be in absolute control of the high rise

Wilder's first failed attempt to 'climb' another few levels through his previous affair with Charlotte Melville failing may signify his lack of control over what happens, building up his frustration and leading to a heightened overall arrogance in his persona and leaving him taking bigger risks to strive towards his goal.

His use of a woman to gain status in the high rise can also be seen as a representation of his misogynistic nature. Ballard may have chosen to present Wilder with such a nature as at the time of the release of the book in 1975, second-wave feminism was in full motion aiming to gain equality, more than just a vote for women.

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Putting such detail in the mistreatment of women throughout the text may have piqued the curiosity of readers at the time of publishing. In a similar way to the women of second-wave feminism, the mothers of the high rise form an alliance of their own, independent of the ongoing inter-level feud. Wilder striving towards this seemingly bizarre goal leads to the build-up of a certain primitivity that is present in all characters which can be seen in Wilder's lack of the ability to talk leaving him only able to grunt.

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It seems the closer he gets to his target of the 40th level of the high rise and seemingly killing or at least overpowering Royal, the further he descends into his madness.

The opening sentence of the book, 'Later, as he sat on his balcony eating the dog, Dr Robert Laing reflected on the unusual events that had taken place within this huge apartment building during the previous three month' encapsulates the peculiarity of the events that occur within the high rise, as residents are able to leave at any time but choose not to, they instead choose to stay living in the middle of stink ridden mess for the protection of their territory. The use of the word 'unusual' to describe the events that have occurred in the high rise is a complete understatement and the use of such foreshadows long-held ideas and social standards deteriorating and eventually ceasing to exist within the walls of the high rise. The isolation of the characters leading to their eventual maddening is also present in Lord of the flies, however, unlike Ballard who makes it more blatantly obvious to the reader that they are responsible for their own downfall much like that of a tragic hero in a Shakespearean tragedy, Golding uses the metaphor of a beast to contain all the fears built up by characters whether it be if they were to succeed on their next hunt or how the lack of a figure of authority haunts them.

This fear of a lack of sensible authority is also present in High Rise as when the jeweller dies no one calls the police but almost everyone mentioned in the chapter contemplates why they are yet to appear. This could signify the presence of a half-hidden and more threatening authority as even though there are roles of superiority mentioned such as the building manager and Royal the architect they do eventually fall victim to their inner turmoil. It may be Wilder, an irresponsible character who puts himself before other that reflects that deep seeded nature we all contain for survival, also seen in the strange case of Jekyll and Hyde. An uproar in societal expectations contained to one area whether it be an apartment complex or even a deserted island the perfect literal isolation of the characters.

Updated: Nov 01, 2022
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High Rise by James Ballard. (2019, Dec 05). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/high-rise-by-james-ballard-essay

High Rise by James Ballard essay
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