In an interview with The New Yorker, George Saunders mentions that the inspiration for “The Semplica Girl Diaries” came from a dream that he had many years ago; he then goes on to say the following: “Einstein said (or, at least, I am always quoting him as having said), ‘No worthy problem is ever solved within the plane of its original conception.’ So this was an example of that: my ‘original conception’ (i.e., the dream and its associated meaning) had to be outgrown—or built upon.” For me, this quote also best describes fantastic fiction in general. In “The Metamorphosis,” Kafka uses Gregor’s transformation to explore ideas about identity and self-worth; in “The Husband Stitch,” Machado uses the green ribbon to explore ideas about patriarchy and sexuality; in “A Change in Fashion,” Millhauser uses outrageous fashion trends to explore ideas about autonomy and objectification. These are just a few examples, but I think it’s safe to say that the fantastic is almost always metaphorical; it provides us with a way of examining and identifying our own fears and dilemmas by cloaking them in something much simpler.
In “The Semplica Girl Diaries,” the main “real” topics here are, as Saunders also states in his interview, immigration, poverty, and women’s rights. The family’s need to keep up with the Joneses comes at the cost of the freedom of the destitute girls that they “employ.” Thomas mentions that each of the girls applied for the job, and the father remarks that they appear happy enough; to me, this sounds like what many Americans (usually hardcore conservatives) bring up when they talk about the immigrants living in this country, that these people should be grateful and happy that they have the opportunity to live and work in “the greatest country in the world.” Because of their privileged position, the family (as well as the other families who have Semplica Girls of their own) is seeing the situation through rose-tinted glasses; as long as the girls appear happy, then it must be true, and as long as they volunteered to be here, then surely they are perfectly content.
Eva’s character in this story appears to represent the guilt felt by many people (myself included) due to their own privileges and successes—privileges and successes that many other people do not (and possibly never will) share. She appears to be the only truly compassionate one in this cast of characters; even at the story’s end, the father remarks, “Why would she do? Why would she ruin it all, leave our yard? Could have had nice long run w/ us.” He then ends the story with the following line: “Note to self: call Greenway, have them take ugly thing away.” He appears to have learned nothing from this experience, showing how entrenched he is in this privileged lifestyle; the loss of the SGs is just a minor inconvenience, and before long, everything will go back to normal. This mirrors the attitudes of many people in real life when it comes to issues like deportation and poverty—as long as things continue to work out fine for them, what does it matter what their neighbors or coworkers are suffering through?
For me, fantastic fiction will always be the best genre for exploring the world’s problems (as well as the majority of people’s responses to them). George Saunders has always excelled when it comes to including social and political commentary in his stories, and “The Semplica Girl Diaries” is no exception.
Mary: This is a wonderful post by which to conclude your discussions of the fantastic (though I’m eager to see, of course, your visual representation of the fantastic). I do want to challenge this statement a bit: “I think it’s safe to say that the fantastic is almost always metaphorical; it provides us with a way of examining and identifying our own fears and dilemmas by cloaking them in something much simpler.” This is a lovely definition of the fantastic; my only challenge is to the word “simple.” It seems to me that the fantastic is more like an infinitely malleable substance, a kind of supernatural Play-Doh that can expand to the size of a planet or contract to the size of a beetle. Often, it seems to me, the fantastic takes our “fears and dilemmas” and complicates them, stretches and expands them, changes their size and shape. Yes? No?
“Simple” was probably the wrong word to use; I was referring more to the objects of these stories–a bug the size of a room, a dress the size of a house, a plain green ribbon around the neck–and not necessarily the stories and messages that they are helping to tell.
I agree that immigration, poverty and women’s rights were very prominent in Saunder’s writing of “The Simplica Diaries.” I think that he was able to do this by showing these things through the struggle financially of families and getting and keeping a job throughout the story! He was showing that it seems to be men, who are probably a citizen, are the ones getting and keeping jobs, where the home and immigrants seem to be the one’s struggling to get and keep a job, making them struggle financially.
“…fantastic fiction will always be the best genre for exploring the world’s problems…”The current COVID-19 virus made me realize how quickly the fantastic can become reality (normal?) and through this story, we see a lesson in history. I read this story with history in mind,”…the father remarks that they appear happy enough”, is the same justification that was used for African Americans. It, of course, was a lame excuse to justify the mistreatment and abuse of those that were oppressed. Is it fantastic that we, as humans, don’t learn from these lessons?
I agree that the fantastic gives the reader a way to explore problems in a way that is different and can make the reader feel more comfortable sharing it.
I like your point about Eva representing people’s guilt. I hadn’t really thought of her as a metaphor for anything while reading, but it’s interesting to read her that way. I think it’s interesting, too, that the only person who really views the SGs as human is a young girl. She hasn’t yet learned the ways adults want to keep up with the Joneses. Even her sister, who is going into high school, has already begun to feel bad about not having the things her wealthy friends do.
I hadn’t thought about “The Metamorphosis” in awhile. I can see how your comparison fits into how I interpreted the story