Eu tenho apenas uma imagem, um fragmento deste livro de contos: alguém que está procurando um texto em um jornal; antes de lê-lo, ele percebeu que a forma do texto parece ser um homem de pé com o braço aberto. O artigo é escrito por um esquizofrênico e, na metade vertical, está escrita uma frase, enquanto na outra metade está escrito o oposto (algo como "eu te amo / não te amo").
"O homem por dentro", uma breve história de Bruce McAllister, publicado pela primeira vez em Galaxy Magazine, Maio 1969, disponível no Internet Archivereimpresso algumas vezes.
Aqui está a configuração:
I am ten and a half years old, and I must be important because I'm the only boy they let into this laboratory of the hospital. My father is in the other room of this hospital. He's what Dr. Plankt calls a "catatonic," because Dad just sits in one position all the time like he can't make up his mind what to do. And that makes Dr. Plankt sad, but today Dr. Plankt is happy because of his new machine and what it will do with Dad.
Dr. Plankt said, "This is the first time a computer will be able to articulate a man's thoughts." That means that when they put the "electrodes" (those are wires) on Dad's head, and the "electrodes" are somehow attached to Dr. Plankt's big machine with the spinning tapes on it, that machine will tell us what's in Dad's head. Dr. Plankt also said, "Today we dredge the virgin silence of an in-state catatonic for the first time in history." So Dr. Plankt is happy today.
Aqui é onde a "esquizofrenia" é mencionada:
We're waiting for the big "computer" to tell us what's in Dad's head! A few minutes ago Dr. Plankt said that his machine might help his "theory" (a bunch of thoughts) about "personality symmetry in correlation with schizophrenia." He didn't tell me what he meant by that because he wasn't talking to me when he said it. He was talking to another doctor, and I was just listening. I think what he said has to do with Dad's personality, which Mom says is rotten because he's always so grouchy and nervous and picky. Mom says I shouldn't ever be like Dad. She's always telling me that, and she shouts a lot.
Aqui está a impressão:
OH OH MINHA MINHA ESPOSA, FILHO! II CERTAMENTE CERTAMENTE NÃO QUER VIVER MORRER!
Aqui está como o garoto descreve:
When I squint my eyes and look at these words from Dad's head, they look like a man in a hat with his arms out, kind of like Dad—except that there's a split down the middle of this man.
It's funny, but I know just how Dad feels.