Although confusing to say the least, Burrough’s novel Naked Lunch does force us to perceive the world in a different light. Throughout the novel, one is assaulted with harsh depictions of very graphic content of drug abuse and sexual activity. However, the fact that the narrator of the work, William, is a “junkie” brings up questions as to the reliability of what we are experiencing as a result of his narrative expression. There are scenes in the book that are obviously hallucinations. There are circumstances in the book that have no logical stance in today’s world. There are depictions of characters in the book that are so incredibly negative that they cannot be true. Or can they? Because we are seeing these events from the perception of a junkie, we cannot come to a valid conclusion on what is real, imaginary, or in between, causing great frustration for readers simply trying to figure out, “what’s going on?”
This book reminded me very much of the movie, “Donnie Darko,” in which a schizophrenic boy tries to prevent the end of the world that he has been warned of in intense visions. Various scenes of the movie are shown through his eyes, including those containing aspects of his mind that simply cannot be reality. Although because it is shown through the eyes of a schizophrenic, one cannot make heads or tails of the truth. It is simply unknown. The interpretations will continue, and the Truth will never be known.
