Similar to Kira’s idea of escaping family, perhaps in a post-modern world, there is a tremendous need to escape reality. Granted, throughout the semester, we have been discussing what "reality" is or even if "reality" exists or can be defined (especially given the variety of time and space concepts of Harvey); however, regardless of our meaning of "reality," it seems to me that our characters are continually seeking to escape whatever they envision reality to be. We had, of course, George Orr who escaped the original reality of the destruction of his world by dreaming a new reality into existence, from which he spends the remainder of the novel dreaming further adaptations to this reality. He initially was escaping the catastrophic annihilation of the world, but he goes on to try to escape the negative aspects of the reality that remain once he has altered it (for example, the "color"/race problem and the wars that take place throughout the world). We also have Leonard (and even the other characters of Memento) "dealing with" reality by intentionally changing it or causing it to be remembered differently (by Leonard). Leonard perhaps has created the entire murder case about his wife in order to escape his reality of not being able to create new memories. He also tattoos himself in an attempt to preserve "reality" and how far he has gotten in the case. We do know, however, that he changes reality by purposefully creating a false tattoo to maintain his need to hunt down a killer (and maintain purpose in his reality he must face constantly). Other characters use Leonard, too, to change the progression of reality or to find a way of dealing with it. Natalie, in an attempt to escape the reality of her boyfriend’s murder, uses Leonard to get revenge, not altering what happened in the past, but altering the future and finding a way of accepting the loss.
And on to Dream Jungle, the title of which sparked my thoughts along this line. As I got a little ways into the book, I began searching for the meaning of the title, and I ended up, sort of subconsciously, looking for meanings of "dream" and how dreams factor into the story. I was thinking of the meanings of "dream" – literally, to have sleeping dreams, but also to have hope-type dreams of what will come of life, and the idea of something being ideal or "a dream." All of those ideas factor into the escaping reality trend I’ve been on in this post. Parts of the novel make me think that the real dream-like/ideal place to live and exist might be in the jungle, as the Taobos live. They seem to be without some of the horrors that wealth, class distinctions, and post-modern ways of life tend to lead society into believing/valuing. Though "savage," perhaps they have the better life. Even more pointedly, I see the examples where literal dreams (like with George Orr) help characters escape reality. Rizalina escapes the sexual abuse of her father by dreaming him dead – in fact, dreaming that she stabbed and gutted him (20). Then, when her father and brothers really do die, on the way to Zamora’s house, Rizalina fades in and out of sleep/dreaming, and it is unclear if she actually dreams the scene or if her confusion and loss are distorting the reality that she sees (the sights and sounds of which are new and foreign to her anyway) (26). That, of course, is just the start of the "dream" moments in Dream Jungle, but I find the recurring idea of escaping reality an interesting one for post modern possibilities.