Such an ambiguous statement as restrained, has many different meanings. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, restrained means “acting in a calm and controlled way.” But, it can also mean something else, such as “something that is kept under control, such as a strong emotion or even physical movement” (vocabulary.com).
In the novel The Water Cure restraint is a recurring theme in Percival Everetts’s work, manifesting in various forms across the expansion of the novel, challenging readers to explore the complexities of human experience and society. His skillful use of restraint adds depth and resonance to his writing.
In The Water Cure the term “restrained” is applied literally to the victim “Art.” The victim is called “Art” by his captor, Ishmael Kidder. Art may or may not be restrained by his captor Ishmael, and held within his basement throughout the novel. “Art is tied up down in my basement and will never again see the sun, will never smell a flower again, will never feel the rain, hear the wind, touch a puppy or a child” (Everett 36). Due to Art being “tied up,” Art’s physical movement was restrained. This concept of restraint relates to the definition provided previously, “something that is kept under control, such as a strong emotion or even physical movement”.
In “The Water Cure,” the term “art” undergoes a metamorphosis, adapting to the diverse contexts in which it is invoked. On one hand, there is “Art” the person, a mysterious figure whose presence looms large over the narrative, potentially subjected to capture and restraint. On the other hand, there is “art” in its traditional sense, embodying the essence of creative expression and imagination, often manifested through visual mediums like painting, sculpture, or drawing. This duality underscores the thematic exploration of control, constraint, and the blurred boundaries between freedom and captivity within the novel. Within The Water Cure, Kidder draws a picture of his daughter Lane. The portrayal lacks intricate detail, rendering it akin to the work of a child of merely five years old (Everett 28). Kidder’s struggle to fully depict Lane in his drawing symbolizes more than just artistic limitations; it embodies his psychological and emotional state, constrained by the specter of impending tragedy. His grief manifests in uncontrollable behaviors, further restricting his ability to articulate his emotions and represent his daughter accurately. In this way, the act of artistic expression becomes entangled with themes of restraint and loss, highlighting the profound impact of emotional turmoil on creative output.
In the context of “The Water Cure,” Ron Eglash’s exploration of African Fractals in his book “African Fractals Modern Computing and Indigenous Design” provides a fascinating parallel to the themes of restraint and limitation present in Percival Everett’s novel. Eglash explores the intricate world of African fractal geometry, examining its cultural significance and the political implications embedded within its study. One of the key aspects discussed is the politics surrounding African Fractals and the constraints imposed upon them.
Upon Eglash speaking with chaos theorist Ralph Abraham, he explained that “analog systems were in his view the realm of spirit, the vibrations of Atman ” (193). In contrast to this theory, James Clifford insisted that only “digital representation is capable of the flexible rearrangements that constitute human thought” (193). This battle between theories has been played out in the history of African culture studies. In the 1960s realism was vogue, and what could have been a wonderful exploration of the analog representation techniques in African culture, “was often reduced to romantic portraits of the ‘real’ and ‘natural,’ while African symbolism systems suffered from neglect” (193-194). This clash of theories mirrors a historical struggle within African cultural studies, where differing approaches have shaped perceptions of African representation techniques. In the late 1970s, this began to reverse itself with the escapade of postmodernism. African culture portraits became increasingly focused on discourse and symbol systems, “even at the expense of ignoring analog representations” (194).
The constraints imposed upon these romanticized portraits echo the limitations faced by Kidder in portraying his daughter in “The Water Cure.” Both forms of representation are hindered in their own ways, ultimately failing to fully realize their potential. Kidder’s portrayal of Lane lacks detail, reflecting his emotional turmoil and the overwhelming fear of loss. Similarly, the reductionist approach to African representation overlooks the complexity of analog techniques, restricting the portrayal of cultural richness and diversity.
The restrained aspect of both books connects to the experiment run during class relating to Zeno’s paradox, the dichotomy. The paradox of dichotomy addresses the idea of reaching a distance through a series of continuous divisions of space and time. For example in the experiment in class, there was a group of 5 students with a destination in front of them of 5 Pikachus. The goal was for them to reach the Pikachus but with each step, they must go halfway. It goes as follows, suppose you want to walk from point A to point B. Before you can reach point B, you must first reach the midpoint between your starting point and the midpoint, and so on. In other words, to cover any distance, you must first cover half of that distance, and then half of the remaining distance, and so on, resulting in an infinite number of steps. Zeno argued that since an infinite number of steps cannot be completed in a finite amount of time, motion is therefore impossible. The concept of going halfway implements a restriction on the person trying to reach the destination, as reaching the destination becomes impossible.
In Zeno’s paradox, the idea of motion is challenged by the notion of continually dividing space into smaller and smaller increments. This concept connects the “The Water Cure ” as the character Art as well as Kidder himself experience a sense of constraint and limitation on their abilities. Kidder’s portrayal of his daughter Lane, lacks detail due to his emotional turmoil and fear of loss, showing that personal restraints can impose on artistic expression. This also connects to Art’s physical restraint as his physical abilities may or may not be restrained. In a similar connection, the reductionist approach to African representation discussed in the context of Eglash’s exploration of African Fractals correlates to the infinite division shown by Zeno’s paradox. Furthermore, just as dividing space into infinitely smaller parts lends to an infinite series of steps, reducing African representation to simplistic portrayals overlooks the richness and diversity of the culture, restraining our understanding of it.
In conclusion, the dive into the concept of restraint in “The Water Cure” and the examination of African Fractals in Eglash’s work offer profound insights into the complexities of human experience and cultural representation. Intertwined in these narratives we confront the concept of restraint, which can manifest in different forms. These restraints imposed upon characters and cultural representations echo the limitations faced by individuals in expressing themselves.
Furthermore, the connection to Zeno’s paradox of Dichotomy illuminates the influence of restraint in shaping our understanding of time and space. Similar to Zeno’s paradox, the characters in “The Water Cure ” and the representations of African Culture, challenge the possibility of motions through continuous division. Whether through personal or societal restraints, the theme of restraint serves as a powerful lens through which to examine the human condition.
Ultimately, the exploration of restraint in literature and cultural studies entices us to reflect on the way in which restraints shape our perceptions and experiences. But by confronting these restraints, we can strive towards a better understanding of ourselves and the world around us.