Point Omega
by Seth Weidenaar
Don Delillo’s novels speak in a soft, murmuring voice, which provides insight into the condition of Americans. Delillo’s latest novel, Point Omega, whispers the scary reality of the American condition on almost every one of its scant 128 pages. This novel reads like a poem, its language washing over the reader and occasionally lulling him/her into accepting the condition detailed on its pages. There are many thoughts, theories and writings about Point Omega, and a novel so heavily studied can be quite intimidating to many readers. However, part of the fun of Point Omega is reading the novel and discerning some of the ideas for yourself, and then you can compare your ideas to what the professional writers are saying in their articles.
The opening scene of the novel is a perfect example of something that a reader will need to discern. The setting is the video gallery on the sixth floor of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Playing in this gallery is 24 Hour Psycho, an experimental film by artist Douglas Gordon. The experimental film is the actual Alfred Hitchcock film, Psycho, slowed down to play over a 24 hour period. This slowing down makes the famous shower scene, which takes only a few seconds in the original, last about forty-five minutes. In this scene, is Delillo saying something about art and life? Why would anyone need or want to watch Psycho for 24 hours? At about the time the reader begins to answer this question the opening scene ends and the main characters are introduced.
Jim Finley, a videographer in his early thirties, has traveled to the California desert to meet Richard Elster, a 73-year-old war advisor taking retreat in a desert wasteland. Finley’s goal is to convince Elster to star in a film, which would consist of Elster describing his work on the various wars in which the U.S. is involved. The film is to be one continuous take with Elster seated in front of a gray background speaking about his experiences. There will be no other scenes. Here too, the reader needs to question the point and purpose of such a film. It is during this questioning that Delillo opens up the character of Elster.
Elster was given the task of creating new realities around the conflicts that involved the U.S. Elster describes it as, “careful sets of words that resemble advertising slogans in memorability and repeatability. These were words that would yield pictures eventually and then become three-dimensional.” In other words, Elster was in charge of creating a picture of the war for the Americans in America; this picture would replace the reality of the wars in foreign countries. This is an idea Delillo is using in most of his fiction: replacing reality with something more palatable. And this is why Finley’s film would involve one take of Elster; there would be no alternate reality in film, just Elster speaking on his experiences.
Finley assumes that it will take a few days to convince Elster to make the film, but Finley quickly loses track of time and stays on with Elster for several weeks. During Finley’s stay, Elster’s daughter Jessie arrives from New York. Jessie is fleeing a boyfriend who was causing problems. With the introduction of Jessie and Finley’s weak flirtations, the novel begins to wind down to its eventual conclusion.
Elster and Finley have many conversations throughout the novel, and in one such conversation Elster introduces Finley to the idea of the omega point. According to philosopher Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, whom Elster quotes, the omega point is the point of maximum complexity and consciousness towards which humanity is headed. Teilhard de Chardin assumes that this omega point will merge humanity with God’s awareness. Elster sees things differently. He says, “We are all played out. Matter wants to lose it self-consciousness. We’re the mind and heart that matter has become. Time to close it all down. This is what drives us now.” In other words, humanity is headed to more and more uncertainty and undoing. When the reader considers this against the wars that Elster has worked around, a bleak picture of the military and the wars is pieced together. Wars will continue to be fought and humanity will continue to spin out of control, and men like Elster will continue to paint a picture depicting an alternate reality showing life in some sort of control.
That is the basic outline and picture of Point Omega. It sounds quite heavy and overwhelming, but it really is an enjoyable, thought provoking read. It challenges the reader to consider the things he/she hears or reads. Are these stories the true reality, or a created reality? This conspiracy can be interesting and can make for some great conversations. The reader may also enjoy finding other reviews and writings of Don Delillo and comparing those to their own thoughts about the novel. There are plenty of writings on the Internet and in publications to give anyone a picture of Delillo’s work. Even if you are not a literary expert, it is fun to dive into the world of Don Delillo, and Point Omega is a good starting point.
