Much like how Darko Suvin argued that
an important aspect of the SF text is the use of estrangement and
cognition; the act of distancing the reader from a familiar concept
and representing it as new in order to allow for the reader to
question and evaluate said concept; the title of the short story,
'The New You' (1962) estranges the reader with its use of the
second-person pronoun, 'You'. Immediately, the writer, Kit Reed,
highlights the fact that a major theme of the story is the identity.
The word 'New' implies dissatisfaction with the old and, ultimately,
replacement of the old. With the combination of these two words, Reed
estranges the reader's relationship with their self because Reed has
presented an alternative in that the self can be replaced; the
reader's identity was perhaps something they took for granted and the
story will make the reader question their relationship with their
identity and allow them to ponder how their life would change if they
could replace their selves. Finally, Reed's use of the definite
article 'The' suggests finality and authenticity; the new self was
the one and only choice and therefore will be difficult to get rid
of. If the story used the indefinite article 'a', it would suggest a
variety of choices, and the suggestion that the protagonist could in
turn reject the replacements.
Despite being a New Wave SF text, 'The
New You' could also be read to address the social effects of the Cold
War. The use of the double could be analysed in the same way as
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
because while the film could be read about McCarthyism in that the
doubles could represent the paranoid neighbours while the protagonist
could represent the persecuted, 'The New You' could show the two
sides to American Communist sympathisers during McCarthy's reign; a
false, public identity constructed for the outside world in which
they back 'American' activities and a genuine, private persona in
which they would read Karl Marx. Therefore, Martha could be seen as
the Communist because she is seen as dowdy. The more 'beautiful' and superficial
Marnie could be seen as Capitalist because she places her own enjoyment over
others. From a different reading the story could, however, celebrate
individuality by estranging it. In the world of the story, the absurd
notion of changing identity is depicted as being simple; therefore,
the citizens of Reed's world can be individual by choosing their own
individuality. At the same time, because the self can be replaced
easily and there is little of 'natural' beauty, the concept of
individuality is also cheapened in the story.
From a
psychological reading, Marnie's hatred towards her double, 'the
creature', and her desire to kill her invokes Freud's essay on the
uncanny: 'One may want one's double dead; but the death of the double
will always also be the death of oneself'. (Royle, Uncanny,
190). While neither Martha nor
Marnie die in the story, Marnie dies in spirit; her double has
succeeded in taking away her identity by stealing her dream man,
while Marnie is stuck in a loveless marriage that will likely end in
divorce.
Reed's
tone is darkly comedic, exaggerating certain aspects of the double's
character, as can be seen when she describes Martha as having 'a milk
carton in one hand and a box of marshmallow cookies open in her lap.'
The purpose of this may also echo a sentiment from Freud's essay,
'The Uncanny' (1919), Nicholas Royle argued in his book also named
The Uncanny that, 'The
double is funny, in
the most strongly antithetical or duplicitous sense of 'funny''
(Royle, Uncanny, 190).
By describing the double as a 'creature' and using the ambiguous and
distant pronoun 'it' in describing her, Reed objectifies the double
and makes her the grotesque object that Freud theorised a double
being.
The ultimate moral of the story could
be to take pride in one's own self. When Martha replaces herself for
Marnie, she has rejected herself and her own identity; therefore,
there is no turning back for her and, as a result of this, her life
is ruined at the end when her double steals her husband's double.
