Revisiting A Visit from the Goon Squad
作者：文譯瑱 Wen, Yi-Tian（臺大華語教學碩士學程生）
In the novel "A Visit from the Goon Squad," Jennifer Egan emphasizes the evolving nature of art, interpersonal relationships, and ethics through the advancement of information technology in the 21st century.
Art, once an occasion for people to gather and enjoy moments of pleasure, has transformed into merely a means of generating profit. In Chapter Two, Bennie comments that he knew "what he brought into the world was shit" because its cleanness and digitization had caused an "aesthetic holocaust" in the music industry. Music, once a spiritual force that brought Bennie together with his high school friends, as observed in Chapter Three, "Ask Me If I Care," where Bennie was offered the opportunity to become a protégé of Lou and later opened his own music label, has become solely focused on record sales and the market business. In other words, music, which used to be a communal event for both participants and performers, has simplified into one-way communication for purchasers to either buy into the music or not. Bennie is compelled to produce music that encourages people to buy and download, even if it lacks authenticity, sincerity, or is deemed "too clean" due to technological advancements in the music industry. However, in the later part of Chapter Two, when Bennie attends a real-life performance by the Stop/Go Sisters, he is "aroused" by the raw music produced in the moment, engaging him in the enjoyment of the music itself, without consideration for its market value, return rate, or the investment in the songs. Even though Sasha describes the sisters' performance as "unlistenable" and remarks that in the music industry "five years is five hundred years," this statement further evidences how music, traditionally a means to connect people and instruments in a live atmosphere, is now solely judged by its business value, devoid of any acknowledgment of the human effort put into creating the music. Music, once deeply rooted in humanity as an art form, has transformed into mere dollar value.
Meanwhile, the advancement of information technology further alters human relationships, which are perceived as inherently intertwined. In Chapter Four, "Safari," members of the Safari Google each other after years of separation, leading to the reconnection and marriage of Dean and Louise. Even though most members have nothing in common except for the trip, the ability to search for each other online demonstrates how information technology can connect people, merging past, present, and future into a single act of online interaction. This attitude is further exemplified in Chapter Ten, where Bix predicts that "this computer-message-sending is going to be huge way beyond the telephone," suggesting that everyone we've lost will eventually be found, or find us, through technology. It will soon seem strange that anyone could ever be lost. This contrasts with Scotty's reluctance, expressed in Chapter Six, to be found by computers, highlighting how technology, while capable of connecting people after separation, also alienates those who are not part of the online realm. Similarly, people are only connected with those they choose to connect with, either in the present or the future, via information technology.
Furthermore, advances in information technology challenge current beliefs about ethics and morality. In Chapter One, Sasha chooses to steal a woman's wallet to "seize the moment, accept the challenge, take the leap, fly the coop, throw caution to the wind, live dangerously, and take the fucking thing." With the aid of information technology, or more generally, advertisements, people have become accustomed to living adventurously and rebelliously, even if it means engaging in illegal activities. In Chapter Thirteen, Alex secretly promotes Scotty's concert through parroting, highlighting the difference in attitude between Alex, representing the older generation before technology, and Lulu, a representative of the age of information technology. Lulu believes there is nothing inherently wrong with selling out for money, including compromising morality, as "if I believe, I believe, who are you to judge my reasons?" In contrast, Alex questions Lulu, arguing that belief cannot be rooted in money, and that there should be a moral foundation, despite Lulu denying the existence of an ethically perfect state. This phenomenon is akin to the meaninglessness of empty words that Rebecca contemplates, as everyone can be bought by money, rendering concepts like "democracy" or "friends," which should be based on morality and a sense of right and wrong, useless. Similarly, the surveillance systems that may become prevalent in the future represent another challenge to morality posed by information technology. While mass spying surveillance systems intrude upon and disrespect people's privacy, they may be normalized by governments, as Alex suggests. Technology significantly alters our understanding of morality and ethics through marketing and surveillance.
In conclusion, the advancement of information technology directly and indirectly influences art, interpersonal relationships, and ethics in the novel. Living in the age of information, we are bound to confront these social transformations and challenges to our existing beliefs.
References
Egan, J. (2011). A Visit from the Goon Squad. US: Anchor.
