Under The Skin
by: Michel Faber
2000
"Welcome to The Bottom of The Food Chain"
Tagline from Komodo (1999)
One of my favourite action films from the 1990's is John Woo's Hard Target. It features an ever kicking mullet-adorned protagonist with a morally conservative disposition. Jean Claude Van Damme is employed financially (initially, before it gets "personal") by a concerned daughter seeking to find her homeless veteran father in a sordid New Orleans. A group of successful entrepreneurs recruit desperate "volunteers" to engage in "the most dangerous game" scenario where veterans become prey to affluent thrill seeking hunters, who aided by the group, kill them for sport. This scenario culminates symbolically early in the film bluntly as an arrow pierces the throat and dog collar of the daughter's father. Subsequently, Damme executes the members of the group in a rogue militaristic fashion which garners, arguably, satisfaction for the viewer.
Now you might say, "what does a film about man killing komodo dragons, and vigilante justice have to do with Under The Skin?" Well, a few things actually.
I mention the film because it reminded me of Under The Skin in a number of thematic and political ways. I believe that Hard Target and Under the Skin operate on opposite ends of the political spectrum. Under The Skin is more akin to revered socialist texts such as Animal Farm (referenced by critics on the front cover sleeve) then revenge oriented narratives such as Hard Target. But they share the same motif of hunting humans for the enjoyment of the upper class. Isserly, our protagonist, careens down Scottish highways choosing desperate outcasts to be turned into food. Yes, the premise does sound otherworldly, somewhat horrific, and silly. Although, to the credit of Faber, he controls the slow release of information to the reader in a way where the events appear natural, and even common.
Many stories employ a tactic where an ignorant character is introduced to the mechanization of a system by a privileged character. One of the more recent examples of this phenomena would be Cloud Atlas as Somni-451 is shown how the killing floor operates in her dystopic environment. Isserly, follows the same path as Somni-451 as she becomes more aware of the process of castrating and pinioning humans, to be butchered into food for her race. This narrative device invites the reader to slowly integrate themselves into the world of the novel, and it works well.
I have always felt the way to evaluate a political group, is to look closely at how they support their most vulnerable citizens. This includes young children, individuals with special needs, and the poor. Faber, I would argue, shares this position with me. Since Isserly sees the most marginalized people, without families or social connections, as prime prey. The reader and Isserly meet a wide range of people that reflect political shortcomings. As in, people who have fallen through the cracks of society, people who have become marginalized because they cannot find a available resources to help them stay connected to society (ie their job/family/social circle). We are introduced to characters who have been put out of work because foreign investors have bought out factories only to outsource their workers which leads them to looking for work hundreds of miles away from their families, people with schizophrenia, directionless youth, and voolent aggressive people. These people are on the fringes of society. They are taken and killed and no one mourns or calls the police to issue a missing persons report. These men are fodder. Van Damne violently "corrects" these polical shortcomings in Hard Target. He stands up for the underprivileged and kills those who represent ones in power with impunity. Isserly employs a more reflective response to gross inequality. She begins to feel disillusioned by the tasks she is given to perform. She feels empathy for humans.
Man has strutted around imperiously with the notion that they are at the top of the food chain. Our connection to other animals is one of superiority. Or, at its most base, "they are here to be eaten." By introducing readers to a society that exhibits the same arrogance over humanity, we are forced to reconsider our relationship with animals and how we treat them. All of a sudden we are not on top anymore, and it's a humbling development in the book.
Now, the political and social rhetoric of this novel is commendable, and reminds me of a few ambitious first novels. It's similar to Knowls' The Collector, McEwan's The Cement Garden and Bank's The Wasp Factory. These are all great books. Under the Skin, although similar, does not reach the ambitious heights of the aforementioned titles. Under The Skin fizzles out strongly as one can plainly see that Faber did not know how to end the novel. It induces a shrug worthy ambivalence that almost deflates the strong first three quarters. If he had stayed closer to Animal Farm and provided a similar ending, this would be a more confident and assured first.
I mention the film because it reminded me of Under The Skin in a number of thematic and political ways. I believe that Hard Target and Under the Skin operate on opposite ends of the political spectrum. Under The Skin is more akin to revered socialist texts such as Animal Farm (referenced by critics on the front cover sleeve) then revenge oriented narratives such as Hard Target. But they share the same motif of hunting humans for the enjoyment of the upper class. Isserly, our protagonist, careens down Scottish highways choosing desperate outcasts to be turned into food. Yes, the premise does sound otherworldly, somewhat horrific, and silly. Although, to the credit of Faber, he controls the slow release of information to the reader in a way where the events appear natural, and even common.
Many stories employ a tactic where an ignorant character is introduced to the mechanization of a system by a privileged character. One of the more recent examples of this phenomena would be Cloud Atlas as Somni-451 is shown how the killing floor operates in her dystopic environment. Isserly, follows the same path as Somni-451 as she becomes more aware of the process of castrating and pinioning humans, to be butchered into food for her race. This narrative device invites the reader to slowly integrate themselves into the world of the novel, and it works well.
I have always felt the way to evaluate a political group, is to look closely at how they support their most vulnerable citizens. This includes young children, individuals with special needs, and the poor. Faber, I would argue, shares this position with me. Since Isserly sees the most marginalized people, without families or social connections, as prime prey. The reader and Isserly meet a wide range of people that reflect political shortcomings. As in, people who have fallen through the cracks of society, people who have become marginalized because they cannot find a available resources to help them stay connected to society (ie their job/family/social circle). We are introduced to characters who have been put out of work because foreign investors have bought out factories only to outsource their workers which leads them to looking for work hundreds of miles away from their families, people with schizophrenia, directionless youth, and voolent aggressive people. These people are on the fringes of society. They are taken and killed and no one mourns or calls the police to issue a missing persons report. These men are fodder. Van Damne violently "corrects" these polical shortcomings in Hard Target. He stands up for the underprivileged and kills those who represent ones in power with impunity. Isserly employs a more reflective response to gross inequality. She begins to feel disillusioned by the tasks she is given to perform. She feels empathy for humans.
Man has strutted around imperiously with the notion that they are at the top of the food chain. Our connection to other animals is one of superiority. Or, at its most base, "they are here to be eaten." By introducing readers to a society that exhibits the same arrogance over humanity, we are forced to reconsider our relationship with animals and how we treat them. All of a sudden we are not on top anymore, and it's a humbling development in the book.
Now, the political and social rhetoric of this novel is commendable, and reminds me of a few ambitious first novels. It's similar to Knowls' The Collector, McEwan's The Cement Garden and Bank's The Wasp Factory. These are all great books. Under the Skin, although similar, does not reach the ambitious heights of the aforementioned titles. Under The Skin fizzles out strongly as one can plainly see that Faber did not know how to end the novel. It induces a shrug worthy ambivalence that almost deflates the strong first three quarters. If he had stayed closer to Animal Farm and provided a similar ending, this would be a more confident and assured first.
Grade:
B
No comments:
Post a Comment