Relationships and Dystopia by Shruti Bhave

Case and the two relationships he has had so far form an integral part in his life as the novel progresses. His relationship with Linda Lee seems to have fallen apart but as the novel progresses, the reader is forced to ask himself/herself whether his romance with Molly is solely for lust or does it mean something more to him? Often times, it also seems like he is thinking about his ex-girlfriend, Linda. At the same time however, Case finds himself getting closer to Molly as they go on all of their eccentric missions. In one passage, he hangs an ornamental star that Molly buys for him as a souvenir, since she notices him admiring it. Both Case and Molly also share a mutual dislike for Armitage and Molly tells Case more about their plans, even though Armitage has told her not to, through Finn's help. These types of scenes, although subtle, suggest to me that their relationship is starting to grow on a more personal level, rather than just exclusively on lust like it was in the beginning.

In one scene before he jacks into cyberspace, Case finds himself waking up " from a confused dream of Linda Lee, unable to recall who she was or what she'd ever meant to him" (58). In this passage, it seems like he is slowly forgetting about Linda Lee and his past with her. He can't remember even why he was with her in the first place. Case has started a new life, one which seems to have a purpose where he can practice what he is good at: hacking into corporate systems. Linda Lee is not part of this new life, she is a memory of his past, and Molly is the present.

Another scene that stands out to me is a rather obscure one where Case plunges into a hallucination. In this hallucination, Case is back in Ninsei where he finds Linda Lee in an arcade. In this scene, it seems like he is reliving the memories he has of Linda Lee even though he is with Molly. What I took out of this passage, even though it was one conjured in delirium was that some part of him will always remember Linda Lee, even though she is a fragment of his old life. This scene also sheds light on the concept of reality versus dystopia. In the hallucination, Case sees all of these obscure images trying to connect different things that are happening in his life. He sees Wintermule in the form of Julius Deane who tells him that Armitage may start to come apart. When he comes out of the hallucination by shooting the fake Deane, Gibson tells us that Case has been dead for 40 seconds, the amount of real time he was hallucinating. This scenes makes me think about what the matrix is really doing to Case- is it hurting him more than benefiting him? Is it blowing the reality of the events in his life out of proportion into something that gets complex and confusing?