We recently read Black Box by Jennifer Egan and I found the practices that the agent used very interesting. I think that a lot of what happened in Black Box could happen in the real world. Other than some of the technology, I think that they might be able to train normal woman to do something extraordinary. Things like the dissociation technique and how the beauties are taught to lie seem very realistic.
I had heard about stories of people having out of body experiences but I wasn't for sure if it was actually a thing people could practice. It turns out it actually is something used for people with PTSD or other disorders that may be too hard for them to handle. It is a technique that therapists use to help the patients calm down. I think that it is an interesting thought to have the agent in Black Box to do something while anything that is out of her control is happening to her. I am curious as to if it will make her PTSD easier to deal with because she won't really recall the incident from the act. The fact that they can get vets to do this leads me to believe that these women can be taught pretty much any of the same things if given enough time.
Soldiers are drilled, and drilled until they can walk straight into a war. They are able to put their basic instincts behind them and do what most of us deem impossible. I think that this would be some of the same training the agent was given due to the fact that she doesn't crack even while sleeping with a very dangerous man or being whisked on a boat ride to god knows where. It is something that we could probably never believe possible but I think with enough training it could be done.
Egan does an amazing job of spinning reality and fiction together to help us connect with the agent. I think it made for a great short story and it showed she did some research before launching into this project.
I was also not to familiar with these out of body experience, and I was considering finding out a bit more about them, but it seems like you have already done your research, and the comparison to war vets is certainly interesting.
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ReplyDeleteI agree it is amazing that the beauties are trained not only as soldiers, but as actors who must stay in character or die. It sounds like an extremely risky role, but I can also see how using women to "play" men for information could be a successful strategy.
ReplyDeleteThere's a strong sense throughout the story that the "Beauty" is to understand her "sacrifice" at all times as being for patriotism and the greater good, saving thousands of lives, etc. This seems intended, in part, to help her frame her actions in a way that might avoid PTSD--she's doing deeply unpleasant things for a *greater purpose*. But of course, soldiers are trained with similar rationales, and it doesn't stop them from sometimes being tormented by what they've done after the fact.
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