Don't let the title fool you, Dear Mr. Unabomber does not feature the character of Ted Kaczynski as a presence, but rather as an absence – the novel is essentially a series of letters written by a young man to the Unabomber during his sentence of life-in-prison-without-parole. Written from the viewpoint of a young, college-aged man who has an arguably healthy obsession with the unabomber – this is a refreshingly eccentric and well written piece of literature.
College Lifestyles – Technology and Student Life
One of the more interesting themes present in the novel are the emergent conflicts offered by the protagonist during his attendance of Boston College – particularly in classroom scenes. During a particular philosophy class going over Descartes' Fifth Meditation, the protagonist describes a scene that by now is commonplace across college campuses.
So while (Professor) Wittenburg waxed on the essence of ultimate being, they'd chat on Facebook or go virtual window-shopping. There was one girl who stood out in mind. She'd log onto SparkNotes.com and access the commentary on whichever philosopher we were studying. Now this much seemed reasonable, but then this shameless little twit would raise her hand and volunteer a comment, reading word for word off her monitor. At first, I thought it was a joke. Little did I know, she'd go on to become by far the most vocal student, “contributing” at least four times a class, learned and articulate as an Oxford don. The class had found a spokesperson. (47)
This scene is also remarkable in the context of the entire novel – the Unabomber having been famous for being an anti-tech crusader.
Does technology have the capacity to rot the mind, and alongside the instant access of the thoughts of others, weaken the capacity of the individual critical faculty? Do students rely almost exclusively on easily accessible internet material to cover for deep thought, contemplation, and study?
The Pitfalls of Online Dating and Modern Romantic Encounters
Another excellent theme played out within the narrative of Dear Mr. Unabomber is the dynamic of online dating services and social networking sites with regards to contemporary romance. The protagonist dates girls that he meets almost exclusively on Match.com (even leading to an explication of the notable “myspace angle” profile photograph – a prominent cybercultural meme), finding mixed success.
The concept of the pre-dating ritual entrenched in digital dating – the ability to anonymously browse other persons photographs, personalities, day-to-day events, and conversations with friends and family – is thoroughly evoked in this book with great success. There is keen insight present that indicates a large cultural shift over the past decade with regards to the marriage of courtship to technology.
Dear Mr. Unabomber as a Philosophical Character Study – Eccentric, Unorthodox Individuals in a Technological Society
In consideration of the entire book, Dear Mr. Unabomber succeeds at being a highly engaging and readable epistolary novel that interrogates a variety of intelligent and compelling themes. From the viewpoint of a highly eccentric and yet charismatic protagonist, the reader learns much not only about the infamous Ted Kaczynski but also a great deal about the human condition as it might pertain to young men growing up in a technological era.
- Dear Mr. Unabomber, by Ray Cavanaugh, can be purchased online from ENC Press.
Other Articles Pertaining to Literature and Philosophy by Nicholas Morine
Readers who enjoyed this book or simply enjoy countercultural readings might like to read up on one of the classics, Fahrenheit 451 – or perhaps engage with some cultural philosophy on subculturepolitical-philosophy.suite101.com/article.cfm/philosophy_subcultures_aesthetics_punk_rocks through the work of Dick Hebdige.
Nicholas Morine - Nicholas Morine Bachelor of Arts, English Language & Literature Master of Philosophy, Humanities (Candidate) Memorial University ...
