The Eyes Have It

The absurd take on the alien invasion motif in “The Eyes Have It” demonstrates the limits of science to explain the totality of reality. In terse, nonfigurative language, Dick examines an ordinary character who is unable to distinguish figurative from nonfigurative language. The results of this misreading are paranoia—which is a hallmark of both science fiction and postmodern literature—alienation, and acedia, or moral laziness. Single-minded, the narrator/the reader is in the domestic space of his home and his family, but his reading distracts him from their presence. Convinced by his reading that an alien species has invaded, infiltrated, and colonized some part of Earth, he reads a paperback novel as though it were a scientific monograph.

“The Eyes Have It” presents, in short form, a fragmented mind; desperate to find meaning, the narrator settles on an absurd misreading of reality. An ironic aspect of this particular piece is that it requires its readers to do an accurate job of interpretation in order to compensate for the narrator’s inability to do so. Despite its brevity, this story offers possibilities for multiple levels of interpretation.

“The Eyes Have It” explores the limitations of both science and the arts—represented here by a paperback book—as ways of acquiring knowledge.