Uncovering Originality Through Rhizomes

Landow’s Hypertext and Critical Theory effectively points to intertextuality through the use of literary education and the emergence of the digital medium used in computer technology. He continuously displays that hypertexts do not necessarily limit a reader’s method through which they explore and interpret a text. It actually provides a more personal experience that allows the reader to take on a significant role throughout this process of interactivity. Essentially, people are able to develop knowledge in a non-linear and non-sequential way through the unique procedure of hypertext reading.  

Landow draws on several theorists throughout his essay, including Deleuze and Guattari, who explore the concept of rhizomes in depth. “Thus, Deleuze and Guattari’s explanation of a plateau accurately describes the way both individual lexias and clusters of them participate in a web. A plateau is in the middle, not the beginning or the end. A rhizome is made of plateaus.” (Landow 39) The plateau provides readers with an option to explore the text without any constraints; they have the freedom to study the text based on their particular interests. “Unlike trees or their roots, the rhizome connects any point to any other point, and its traits are not necessarily linked to traits of the same nature.” (Deleuze, Guattari 17) While trees and their roots have a set path to travel, hypertexts can go in any which direction; they don’t necessarily follow a set lead. They hold multiple enter and exit points without specifics that cannot be pre-determined. In essence, it’s a reading experience that does not follow a traditional sequential pattern of flipping a page and reading from page-to-page. The hypertext differs in that it forms a story that is not meant to flow in a specific order. Thus, it holds in it a certain type of originality that sparks from the reader.

We explored the role of hypertext throughout my “What is a Text?” class. One story stood out to me specifically, My Body-A Wunderkammer, by Shelly Jackson. The text consists of all hyperlinks that begin with the front image and then spiral out of control with each click. The reader is given the choice to which hyperlink they want to click first on the main image. So, if they choose the hyperlink that is next to the head, it will lead to a story about the author’s head. Within that story about her head are more hyperlinks on certain words. One hyperlink leads to the next as you continuously click and scroll through each section, forming a pattern that simply cannot be re-traced due to the many different destinations that can be reached. It’s a never-ending process that leads to either more hyperlinks explaining a particular word or a different part of the story. We go from her head to somehow learning about a story of her feet. This effectively ties back with the concept of rhizomes and how there is no true exit or enter signal for the reader, differing from that of trees. The middle ground, or plateau, of this story is the image on the title page. The reading experience for this work therefore requires more attention as opposed to simply flipping through the pages of a print book. It is also a personal experience that will essentially be different for all readers. However, what is significant about this particular work is that the focus on both author and reader. The author tells her story on a very personal level, but ultimately allows the reader to personally experience it as well through their own actions and chosen destinations.

Landow states, “Hypertext, which is fundamentally intertextual system, has the capacity to emphasize intertextuality in a way that page-bound books cannot.” (Landow 35) While I do believe that hyperlinks can only be completely effective through digital technology, there are some cases where the print genre can mimic this idea. I read a print book entitled, House of Leaves, that demonstrates the use of rhizomes. Certain pages held flaps or slots that would bring the reader to a new destination, sometimes several pages away. While one would not generally think of this as possible in a print version, it can be argued that this book certainly contains rhizomes, as it certainly has the ability to spiral in different directions based on the reader's actions. 

It is obvious that through the rapid progression of technology, the roles of reader and author have become changed. Landow illustrates that hypertext technology ultimately focuses on the reader’s experience rather than placing full attention on the author. The reader takes on his or her personal role through this unique reading process, as the text is changing and constant activity is demanded upon the reader in order to comprehend the text. It is through this idea of rhizomes that originality can be uncovered. “Hypertext provides an infinitely recenterable system whose provisional point of focus depends on the reader, who becomes a truly active reader.” (Landow 36)

-Vanessa Coppola