The Lathe Of Heaven

In this section, George and Haber’s power struggle grows, highlighting the theme of The Will to Power: The two are polar opposites, and so too are their approaches to the concept of power. George is portrayed as the epitome of an unremarkable human being; he is described as being thin, unassertive, and uninterested in leading, which speaks to the theme of The Powerlessness of the Individual. George views himself as a bystander in the world: He is frustrated with issues like overpopulation, but he does not seek to use his dreams to alter or reimagine these issues. George questions that power of the individual, and he questions the ethics of complete power. Upon meeting Heather, she immediately notes his weak appearance, though she grows to admire his sense of ethics. Further, while George does not seek to use his power, he recognizes the danger of Haber seizing world-altering power and tries to convince him to stop. Additionally, in seeking out Heather, George demonstrates his by-the-book approach to problem-solving: He believes that Haber is committing a crime, so he finds a human rights lawyer. As such, George cannot be viewed as entirely passive, but rather, cautious and wary of power as he seeks justice within the confines of his society’s laws.

Haber is a foil for George, both physically and behaviorally; he is described as being larger than life in all capacities. Tall, shaggy, boisterous, and assertive, Haber is a driven individual who is never content with what he has achieved, despite the fact that he eventually becomes one of the most important people on the planet. As Haber’s power increases, George wonders aloud why he is not satisfied with what he has acquired and achieved. While many of Haber’s negative qualities are blatantly stated, there are other insidious aspects to his personality that drive the conflict of the narrative. For example, within the first three sessions of working with George, Haber has already used George’s dreams to elevate his personal status, creating a luxurious office, a large staff, and prestige far beyond what he had acquired on his own. Using George to enrich himself is akin to a professional person embezzling a client’s funds or compelling a client to steal on his behalf, demonstrating Haber’s complete lack of ethics, which contrasts sharply with George. Further, when disastrous, unexpected consequences result from George’s dreams, Haber is unwilling to accept any responsibility for the catastrophes, perceiving them as necessary evils on his journey to make the world a better place. Indeed, when George dreams of a great plague that wipes out six billion people, Haber downplays the monstrosity of this to Heather, fearing that she might interrupt his ongoing plans to use George’s dream. Haber has no awareness of the magnitude of the evil perpetrated at his suggestion, and what is more, he does not care. When the session ends, Haber even congratulates himself on what he has accomplished. As George observes, Haber thinks he is the only person in the world, and he intends to recreate the world so that it suits him in every respect.

This section establishes the battle lines between these two main characters: Haber has locked George into a helpless position in which he must continue to abide by the psychiatrist’s wishes. While George is compliant, he realizes that he is being used for something that is unethical. He enlists Heather and begins to take a stand, frequently confronting Haber about the terrible things that result from his effective dreams. Haber plays this off by refusing to acknowledge that the dreams are real, dismissing George and telling him that he has psychiatric conditions they have to cure. Each time George stands against Haber, the depth of Haber’s malignant behavior and ruthlessness increases. In contrast, throughout this second section of the novel, George perceives himself as weak, helpless, and therefore hopeless, which empowers Haber, as George seems like an easily overpowered opponent.

Heather is also very different from George, which makes their partnership unique and potentially more productive. Heather favors strong speech, projecting an image of herself as a black widow, perpetually ready to pounce upon prey. However, Heather is attracted to his ethics and hesitance to seize power, which serves as a stark contrast to Haber, who completely shuts out George’s humanity. That Heather is drawn to George’s ethics foreshadows greater depth to her character, as well as the potential for a greater connection with George.