The sentence that closes out the reading, instantly grabbed my attention wanting to understand more to better interpret it, “Writing is a boat in which we launch ourselves over the falls, hoping it will protect us while we drop (Peters, 313). Humans have the ability to compensate for time by inventing different styles of writing. Whereas marine mammals like dolphins and whales, aren’t able to do so. What Peters wants his audience to grasp is how writing and all media are vessels for communication to survive the fall. Time is inevitable and all that we can do is acknowledge that we cannot stop it. In this metaphor that Peters is using, it seems that the boat represents fragility and a safety net. The boat isn’t meant to last forever, just like the media and all archives. One day, there will come a time where the boat sinks or falls apart, and that is the day that everything that was built will be destroyed.
After reading this passage, I find it devastatingly beautiful. While it is believed that once media gets released, it will always be out in the digital world, it is comforting to know that everything must come to an end, and that everything eventually comes full circle. In the digital age of technology, preserving things online is a way to ensure that once something is put on the internet, it stays there forever. Although Peters’s metaphor disagrees with that statement because a boat over a waterfall isn’t definite. As the boat is headed towards the waterfall, there is still time to figure out what to do before the drop. Regardless of what happens, you won’t get to the other side untouched because after it’s done, it will leave you changed either for the better or for worse.
On the other hand, what I disagree with is how the metaphor could be taken too literally. Just because the boat is headed towards the waterfall and falling, it doesn’t necessarily mean everything will be destroyed. When building the boat, there comes a risk knowing that it may not hold, but we build it anyway. An argument can be made if we know the boat will break, why make it at all? However, we as humans need to observe multiple scenarios that could happen. Rather than having an all or nothing mindset, it is imperative to realize that there can be archives that are preserved, even if it’s small. Overall, the attempt of archives surviving is greater if there are preventative measures that take place.
This metaphor reminds me of Susan Sontag’s essay of “In Plato’s Cave”. A quick summary of this allegory is that there are prisoners in a dark cave, and it’s all they’ve ever known. They mistake shadows for people and it is all they’ve ever known, and would much rather stay in the cave than go outside because it is the only thing they are used to. Where these two intersect is the feelings of comfort and security. Once Plato’s prisoners are outside, they are deemed as free; however they can’t go back to the comfort of the shadows. Whereas Peters’s boat protects, but doesn’t save. It creates complex dynamics with unavoidable circumstances and when in doubt, the human instinct is to find comfort in both instances.
Leave a Reply