The Martian Chronicles-Quote (1)

 

 “Your insanity is beautifully complete!”

‘Beautifully complete insanity’ is a paradox-simply because the word ‘insanity’ doesn’t deserve such nice modifier. Insanity is something unpleasant. It is something unwanted in a society. Hence people defined to be insane are to be ostracized, or even, expelled. But who defines insanity?

Insanity is a highly flexible term. Anybody at any moment in any place can be ‘insane’. When David Rosenhan and his twelve associates pretended to be ‘insane’, they were admitted to psychiatric hospital. They were adjudged insane. But insanity is also highly fixed. When David Rosenhan and his associates wanted to be released from hospital, all but one of them was released under the name of ‘remission’. They could not be free from ‘insanity’, the hospital diagnosed. Though it is flexible when applying, insanity becomes definite once it is settled, as if it exists more for defining an insane ‘subject’ rather than for defining ‘insanity’ itself. Defining ‘insane subjects’ and excluding them, the society’s rules become firm. And as the rules become firm and minorities get excluded, the social solidarity strengthens under society’s stereotypical yet definite rule. Eventually a stable society is formed at last.

Martians in Ray Bradbury’s [The Martian Chronicles] are vulnerable. And in their subconscious, they are aware of their vulnerability. So they struggle to sustain their society’s stability and preclude iconoclastic ideas from permeating into their society. ‘Insanity’ is the way they pull this off. They thoroughly exclude new comers including new ideas, new cultures, and even new creatures under the name of ‘dispatching insanities’. And the readers, reading these Martians’ violent and radical reactions, may scorn Martians. And there might be an observer who looks down at the scorning readers and laughs at their audacity. That observer needs not be an omnipotent being. Ray Bradbury is an observer himself. Looking at the people trembling for their society’s breaking balance, the author depicts deep irony of kicking people out in order to strengthen ties among people within.

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I wonder-does the word 'people' in the story simply refers to both Martians and Earth men?