Who is reason?
Why are we here? Just to suffer? Seems so, because without the sweat and blood of the worker, the gears of the world would refuse to turn. But here's a question; does that mean the purpose of life is to suffer? Well, then we start entering the level of metaphysics as it collides with philosophy and theology, all fields dedicated to deciphering the indecipherable in whatever manner best suits them and before you follow that thread for long you'll just end up throwing up your hands and saying; Does any of it really matter? And that's a valid question to ask- does any of that higher pontification on meaning and purpose really matter in the grand scheme of things? Perhaps to the individual, perhaps in reinforcing self-evident truths in their confidence about the universe- but outwardly? To the world? No- I'd wager that it's all ephemeral scribbles blown away by the wind. But how does that relate to art; how does that align with game design?
Purpose is actually a big question that we ask ourselves whenever it comes to mounting a piece of work. As I sit to write this blog the purpose is very evident to me- to explain my thoughts on the matter listed at the top of the page- there's no artistry in presenting or conveying that in clever, subtle ways- in fact the more subtle I am the less successful the blog- in my experience. When we turn to art, however, purpose has a different relationship. Purpose becomes this writhing snake that ties itself to every aspect, every decision, every shift in direction- a tether that connects to all disparate aspects of the development process and bring them all in some degree of harmony to a central ideal or theme. We hold these higher 'purposes' as gospel, in our art, calling back to them when we get lost in the sauce, drawing confidence in expressing them, and often take great pains in deconstructing and then reconstructing their very essence.
Themeing is actually a crux of writing whenever I sit down to pen a story, not so much for the 'higher purpose' of writing to 'teach the audience' or anything like that, just because it helps to narrow down the scope of the story. Otherwise whenever I sit down I'm just looking at a blank page with no idea how to fill it. Story is fine for the overview, but knowing the tone of what characters are doing, what they are conveying and how they choose to do- those specifics always come back to theme. And theme, as I've always come to use it, is merely the reason why. The question of why this story exists in it's most basic and primitive form. The DNA that makes up the makeup of any piece of fiction. And I'm sure if you ask some of the more 'heady' elements of the writing world they'll tell you how nothing can exist without that reason.
But is that strictly true? I mean if you break down some of the most complex works of plot and fictional lore, like Dark Souls, I've always maintained you can strip it down to a story about obstinance and desperation to cling onto past glories. I argue that the whole series, on a theme level, is a treatise to let the worn fade and die like it's supposed to so new things can be born- whatever they may be. But then- what would be the purpose and theme be for, say, the complex narrative of a game like Minecraft? Itself a game that almost purposefully lacks a narrative of any kind except on a very esoteric and mostly aesthetic level? Is there any higher themes at play in Pacman? Tetris? Brawlhalla? Does a work of art need a purpose in order to feel complete and worthwhile? And what does lacking one change about the way we view art?
Well as you can likely tell from my preamble up there, I don't think purpose and theme are necessary ingredients to the completed recipe of art. Plenty of stories exist and are strung together by a thread of 'this works' and 'this is cool' and there's nothing abhorrently apparent in such examples that would hint at any form of deficit. And when look to forms of art that are excessively technical, like that of film or games, it becomes even more common for stories to be told that are spurred up by technical achievement rather than thematic purpose. Mirror's Edge's sterile dystopia is secondary to the raw presentation and, then experimential, mechanics of a robust and intuitive first person free-running engine- and some may say that is just as valid a purpose as a more traditional reason to exist.
Reason is quite often compared to the concept of a 'story moral', which in itself carries presumptive expectation to what is being said and how it should be interpreted. Is it the purpose of every piece of fictional art to define the moral parameters of who we are as people, reshaping them with tales told to admonish and punish certain behaviours and venerate others? Of course not. People who form their belief and personalities based on the media they consume are often some of the least confident and personally fulfilled you may meet. But we can still have the desire to learn, to be challenged or to just be entertained propelled on by a great work of art.
The more I ponder it, the more convinced I am that the actual purpose of a theme is really to benefit the creator and keep them on the same track- because the relevance of being able to identify and pick out the raw thematic purpose of a work is functionally irrelevant. The emotions that works makes you feel, the topics that it raises or the quandaries it has you contemplate- they ideally should be evident to all the intended members of the audience. That is the point of telling a story, afterall. To share something of yourself outwards. Maybe that alone is all the reason there needs to be. Whether it is the way you feel, the way you wish to feel, a truth you want to make real or just a talent you want to show off- performance for performance's sake is, in itself, a reason.
To posit that all things must have a reason confers the onus of purpose onto the creator for some higher reasoning, whereas I've come around to believe that all things have reason simply by being. To reposition an old Socrates talking point- what makes a chair a chair is simply being a chair- does that makes sense? Using the chair as a chair gives it the purpose of being a chair. Treating media as you do, to enjoy, get excited at, be intrigued by, become angry with- contextualises it's purpose even in the most subjective of senses. In that light; reason is malleable, personal and ever-shifting. Thus concludes my essay on why all English examinations are antiquated garbage that the education system should have gotten rid of years ago. FREE THE ENGLISH GRADS!
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