The Eyes Have It - Occhio all'alieno by Philip K. Dick

 

 

The Eyes Have It (1953) is Dick's clever short story full of idioms and puns. Dick delivers a brisk, playful piece that doubles as a satire of literalism and the ways language shapes reality. Short, witty, and self-aware, it turns a few idioms into a tongue-in-cheek meditation on perception and the stories we tell ourselves when we read too closely. 

 

 

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Warm up:

The story we are going to read is a piece of fiction. Use the following adjectives and phrases to define the differences between fiction and non-fiction:

invented; factual; real events, people etc.; untrue; imaginary; true; made up; work of fantasy

Fiction:

Non fiction:

Which of the following literary genres belong to fiction? Circle them.

Romance, fantasy, brochures, thriller, mystery, biographies, historical, encyclopedias, horror, adverts, science fiction, newspapers. 

Now match topics and genres:

👽Aliens, robots, time travels  

💖Falling in love

😈Goblins, Hobbits, Elves

💻Information, News, Reports

 

• Now read the parts of the story in italics and decide what genre they belong to.

The phrase ‘falling in love’ doesn’t mean that you drop or go down in love, but it means to be attracted to someone and begin to love them. In fact, you cannot deduce its meaning from individual words beacause it is an ideomatic form of language whose meaning is estabilished by usage. They can make language more vivid and interesting.

WHAT IF YOU TAKE THEM AD LITERAM (LITERALLY)?

The effects can be very surprising, like in the short following story

 

Read the whole story and answer the following questions adopting the narrator’s point of view

Part one

1. What did the narrator discover by accident?

2. Where did he find the clues for this extraordinary invasion?

3. What was the aspect of the aliens?

4. What about their eyes?

5. What was the narrator terrified by?

6. Where did he start reading the book?

 

 

The Eyes Have It

by Philip K. Dick

 

 

Part 1 

It was quite by accident I discovered this incredible invasion of Earth by lifeforms from another planet. As yet, I haven't done anything about it; I can't think of anything to do. I wrote to the Government, and they sent back a pamphlet on the repair and maintenance of frame houses. Anyhow, the whole thing is known; I'm not the first to discover it. Maybe it's even under control.

Fu quasi per caso che scoprii questa incedibile invasione della Terra ad opera di forme di vita provenienti da un altro pianeta. Finora, non ho fatto niente al riguardo: non so proprio cosa potrei fare. Ho scritto al governo e mi hanno spedito un opuscolo sulla riparazione e manutenzione delle case in legno. Comunque, l’intera faccenda è nota, non sono il primo a scoprirla. Forse è perfino sotto controllo.

I was sitting in my easy-chair, idly turning the pages of a paperbacked book someone had left on the bus, when I came across the reference that first put me on the trail. For a moment I didn't respond. It took some time for the full import to sink in. After I'd comprehended, it seemed odd I hadn't noticed it right away.

Ero seduto nella mia poltrona, sfogliando pigramente le pagine di un romanzo tascabile che qualcuno aveva lasciato sull’autobus, quando mi imbattei nel riferimento che per primo mi mise sulla giusta traccia. Dapprincipio non reagii. Mi ci volle del tempo per comprenderne l’esatto significato. Dopo che ebbi capito, mi sembrò strano che non me ne fossi accorto immediatamente.

Vague chills assailed me. I tried to picture the eyes. Did they roll like dimes? The passage indicated not; they seemed to move through the air, not over the surface. Rather rapidly, apparently. No one in the story was surprised. That's what tipped me off. No sign of amazement at such an outrageous thing. Later the matter was amplified.

...his eyes moved from person to person.

Vaghi brividi mi assalirono. Tentai di immaginare quegli occhi. Rotolavano come monetine? Il brano non lo specificava, sembravano muoversi nell’aria, non su di una superficie. Piuttosto velocemente, apparentemente. Nessuno nella storia ne era sorpreso. Questo è ciò che mi fece drizzare le antenne. Nessun segno di stupore per una cosa tanto assurda. Più avanti la situazione peggiorò.

… i suoi occhi si spostavano da una persona all’altra.

There it was in a nutshell. The eyes had clearly come apart from the rest of him and were on their own. My heart pounded and my breath choked in my windpipe. I had stumbled on an accidental mention of a totally unfamiliar race. Obviously non-Terrestrial. Yet, to the characters in the book, it was perfectly natural--which suggested they belonged to the same species.

Ecco il nocciolo della questione. Gli occhi si erano chiaramente separati dal resto del corpo dell’uomo e se ne stavano per conto proprio. Il mio cuore batteva all’impazzata e il respiro mi si soffocò in gola. Ero inciampato nella menzione accidentale di una razza totalmente sconosciuta. Ovviamente non terrestre. Eppure, per i personaggi del libro, era tutto perfettamente naturale – il che mi suggerì che appartenevano alla stessa specie.

And the author? A slow suspicion burned in my mind. The author was taking it rather too easily in his stride. Evidently, he felt this was quite a usual thing. He made absolutely no attempt to conceal this knowledge. The story continued:

...presently his eyes fastened on Julia.

E l’autore? Un lento sospetto si fece strada nella mia mente. L’autore stava prendendo la situazione un po’ troppo facilmente sotto gamba. Evidentemente, pensava che fosse una cosa del tutto usuale. Non faceva assolutamente nessun tentativo per nascondere queste informazioni. La storia continuava:

… poi i suoi occhi si fermarono su Giulia.

Julia, being a lady, had at least the breeding to feel indignant. She is described as blushing and knitting her brows angrily. At this, I sighed with relief. They weren't all non-Terrestrials. The narrative continues:

...slowly, calmly, his eyes examined every inch of her.

Giulia, essendo una signora, doveva almeno avere la buona creanza di sentirsi indignata. È descritta mentre arrossiva e aggrottava la fronte rabbiosamente. A questo punto ebbi un sospiro di sollievo. Non erano tutti non-terrestri. Il racconto proseguiva:

… lentamente, con calma, gli occhi di lui esaminarono ogni suo centimetro.

Great Scott! But here the girl turned and stomped off and the matter ended. I lay back in my chair gasping with horror. My wife and family regarded me in wonder.

"What's wrong, dear?" my wife asked.

I couldn't tell her. Knowledge like this was too much for the ordinary run-of-the-mill person. I had to keep it to myself. "Nothing," I gasped. I leaped up, snatched the book, and hurried out of the room.

Perbacco! Ma qui la ragazza si voltò e alzò i tacchi e la faccenda finì lì. Mi appoggiai allo schienale senza fiato per l’orrore. Mia moglie e i miei figli mi guardarono meravigliati.

“Cosa c’è, caro?” chiese mia moglie.

Non potevo dirglielo. Conoscere cose del genere era troppo per una qualsiasi persona nella media. Dovevo tenermelo per me. “Niente,” dissi a fatica. Balzai in piedi, afferrai il libro e corsi fuori dalla stanza.

Part 2

1. Where did he go after leaving home?

2. What were the peculiarities of the aliens?

3. What sort of creatures were they?

     

In the garage, I continued reading. There was more. Trembling, I read the next revealing passage:

...he put his arm around Julia. Presently she asked him if he would remove his arm. He immediately did so, with a smile.

It's not said what was done with the arm after the fellow had removed it. Maybe it was left standing upright in the corner. Maybe it was thrown away. I don't care. In any case, the full meaning was there, staring me right in the face.

In garage continuai a leggere. C’era di più. Tremando, lessi il seguente brano rivelatore:

… lui mise il suo braccio intorno a Giulia. Lei gli chiese subito di rimuovere il suo braccio. Lui lo rimosse immediatamente, con un sorriso.

Non si dice cosa successe al braccio dopo che il tizio lo aveva tolto. Forse fu messo all’angolo con la mano in alto. Forse fu gettato via. Non me ne importa. In ogni caso, il pieno significato era lì, proprio sotto il mio naso.

Here was a race of creatures capable of removing portions of their anatomy at will. Eyes, arms--and maybe more. Without batting an eyelash. My knowledge of biology came in handy, at this point. Obviously they were simple beings, uni-cellular, some sort of primitive single-celled things. Beings no more developed than starfish. Starfish can do the same thing, you know.

Si trattava di una razza di creature capaci di rimuovere a piacere porzioni della loro anatomia. Occhi, braccia e forse altro. Senza battere ciglio. Le mie conoscenze di biologia mi tornarono utili. Ovviamente erano organismi semplici, unicellulari, una specie di cosi primitivi costituiti da una singola cellula. Esseri non più sviluppati di una stella marina. Le stelle marine possono fare lo stesso, sapete.

I read on. And came to this incredible revelation, tossed off coolly by the author without the faintest tremor:

...outside the movie theater we split up. Part of us went inside, part over to the cafe for dinner.

Binary fission, obviously. Splitting in half and forming two entities. Probably each lower half went to the cafe, it being farther, and the upper halves to the movies. I read on, hands shaking. I had really stumbled onto something here. My mind reeled as I made out this passage:

...I'm afraid there's no doubt about it. Poor Bibney has lost his head again.

Continuai a leggere. Arrivai a questa incredibile rivelazione, buttata lì freddamente dall’autore, senza la minima esitazione:

...fuori dal cinema ci separammo. Una parte di noi entrò, una parte andò alla caffetteria per cenare.

Fissione binaria, ovviamente. Dividersi a metà e formare due entità. Probabilmente ciascuna metà inferiore andò alla caffetteria, essendo più lontana, le metà superiori al cinema. Continuai a leggere con le mani tramanti. A questo punto ero veramente incappato in qualcosa di grosso. La mia mente vacillò mentre scorrevo queste righe:

… temo che non ci siano più dubbi al riguardo. Il povero Bibney ha di nuovo perso la testa.

Which was followed by:

...and Bob says he has utterly no guts.

Yet Bibney got around as well as the next person. The next person, however, was just as strange. He was soon described as:

...totally lacking in brains.                                                     

Che fu seguito da:

… e Bob dice che non ha fegato.

Tuttavia Bibney se ne andava in giro proprio come l’altro personaggio. Quest’altro personaggio, comunque, era altrettanto strano. Fu immediatamente descritto come:

...totalmente senza cervello.

Part 3

1. Who was Julia?

2. Which parts of her body were removable?

3. Who wanted to dismantle her?

4. What did the narrator decide to do and why?

 

There was no doubt of the thing in the next passage. Julia, whom I had thought to be the one normal person, reveals herself as also being an alien life form, similar to the rest:

...quite deliberately, Julia had given her heart to the young man.

It didn't relate what the final disposition of the organ was, but I didn't really care. It was evident Julia had gone right on living in her usual manner, like all the others in the book. Without heart, arms, eyes, brains, viscera, dividing up in two when the occasion demanded. Without a qualm.

...thereupon she gave him her hand.

Il brano seguente cancellava ogni dubbio al riguardo. Giulia, che avevo creduto che fosse l’unica persona normale, si rivela essere anche lei una forma di vita aliena, come tutti gli altri:

…. Giulia aveva deliberatamente dato il suo cuore al giovane uomo.

Non diceva quale fosse la disposizione finale dell’organo, ma non me ne importava veramente. Era evidente che Giulia aveva continuato a vivere al suo solito, come il resto degli altri personaggi. Senza cuore, braccia, occhi, viscere, dividendosi in due quando l’occasione lo richiedeva. Senza nessuna remora.

...dopodiché gli diede la sua mano.

I sickened. The rascal now had her hand, as well as her heart. I shudder to think what he's done with them, by this time.

...he took her arm.

Not content to wait, he had to start dismantling her on his own. Flushing crimson, I slammed the book shut and leaped to my feet. But not in time to escape one last reference to those carefree bits of anatomy whose travels had originally thrown me on the track:

...her eyes followed him all the way down the road and across the meadow.

Mi venne da vomitare. Il mascalzone adesso aveva la sua mano, insieme al suo cuore. Tremo al pensiero di cosa ne abbia fatto a quest’ora.

… le prese il braccio.

Non contento di aspettare, aveva iniziato a smantellarla per conto suo. Diventai paonazzo, chiusi il libro di scatto e balzai in piedi. Ma non abbastanza in fretta da sfuggire all’ultimo riferimento a quegli spensierati pezzi di anatomia i cui movimenti mi avevano originariamente messo sulla giusta traccia:

… gli occhi di lei lo seguirono fino alla strada e attraverso il prato.

I rushed from the garage and back inside the warm house, as if the accursed things were following me. My wife and children were playing Monopoly in the kitchen. I joined them and played with frantic fervor, brow feverish, teeth chattering.

I had had enough of the thing. I want to hear no more about it. Let them come on. Let them invade Earth. I don't want to get mixed up in it.

I have absolutely no stomach for it.

Corsi fuori dal garage e mi precipitai dentro il tepore della mia casa, come se avessi quelle cose maledette alle calcagna. Mia moglie e i miei figli stavano giocando a Monopoli in cucina. Mi unii a loro e giocai con frenetico fervore, la fronte in fiamme e i denti che battevano. Che vengano. Che invadano pure la Terra.

Non ho assolutamente lo stomaco per cose del genere.

 

FINE 

 

For further comprehension:

Read the whole text and find the following ideomatic forms

Idioms

1. came across

2. to take something in your stride

3. run-of-the-mill

4. to come in hand

5. don’t have the guts

6. no qualms about

Now match idioms and their meanings:

1. not to be nervous or afraid / not suffer a guilty conscience

2. to lack courage

3. finding by chance

4. something ordinary and not special or exciting

5. to be useful for a particular purpose

6. deal calmly with a problem

Fill in the gaps :

• This recipe ------------------- when you have unexpected guests.

• She had ----------------------- lying to the police.

• When you become a politician, you soon learn ------- criticism ----------.

• Yesterday I---------------- an old photo in the drawer.

• He gave a fairly ------------- speech.

• I --------------- to say goodbye and go.

The last but not the least: the title

“The Eyes Have It”

It is a pun, another way to play with words.

A pun is the usually humorous use of a word in such a way as to suggest two or more of its meanings or the meaning of another word similar in sound.

These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use of

• homophons: words that sound identical but differ in meaning/spelling (e.g., so, sow, sew or there and their)

• homographs: words with the same spelling as another or others but with a different meaning and origin and, sometimes, a different pronunciation (Ex.: bow, the front part of a ship; bow, to bend; bow, a decorative knot

• Homonyms are words that share both a spelling and pronunciation but differ in meaning – for example, bow (to bend at the waist) and bow (the front of a ship).

The author plays with two words that have the same sound: “eyes” and “aye,” that is another word for "yes"

“The ayes have it” is a phrase used in a parliament or meeting to announce that there are more votes to support a suggestion, law, etc. than votes against it, so the "yes" votes have won:

“The ayes have it, 20 to 12, and the motion is carried.”

What rethorical device did the author use?

Do you know others? (e.g., pair/pear, bear/bare, To/ too/ two)