historicity
The idea that an object's value and significance come from its historical provenance and the stories attached to it, rather than its physical properties.
2 chapters across 1 book
The Man in the High Castle (1962)Philip K. Dick
In this chapter, Wyndam-Matson receives a troubling late-night call from Ray Calvin about a shipment of fake Colt .44 guns that failed to meet quality standards, causing a significant customer to reject the order. The conversation reveals tensions around authenticity and value, both in collectibles and in historical artifacts, as Wyndam-Matson debates the meaning of 'historicity' with a young woman visitor. The chapter also introduces the banned novel 'The Grasshopper Lies Heavy,' which presents an alternate history where Roosevelt was not assassinated and America took a stronger stance against fascism, suggesting a different outcome of World War II.
Mr. Nobusuke Tagomi grapples with a profound sense of disillusionment and existential uncertainty amid the looming threat of war and personal loss. Seeking solace and meaning, he visits Robert Childan's shop to trade a Colt .44 revolver laden with personal history but is refused, leading him to purchase a new, enigmatic piece of American-made jewelry that symbolizes a potential new beginning. Throughout the chapter, Tagomi reflects on the elusive 'Way,' the interplay of past and future, and the struggle to find hope and direction in a fractured world.