The Collapse Begins

As the book nears its end we see how the realism that exists in the book suddenly begins to vanish. The few signs that at the beginning could be interpreted as a coincidence created by Oedipa's mind who desperately sought to find the truth about a conspiracy which didn't exist. Eventually these clues start to appear in increasing frequency until they overwhelm Oedipa. There is a point which indicates when the apparently normal mystery story starts to breakdown on itself. This is stated in here: "Either Trystero did exist, in its own right, or it was being presumed, perhaps fantasized by Oedipa, so hung up on and interpenetrated with the dead man's estate. Here in San Francisco away from all tangible assets of that estate, there might still be a chance of getting the whole thing to go away and disintegrate quietly. She had only to drift tonight, at random, and watch nothing happen, to be convinced it was purely nervous, a little something for her shrink to fix". (88) This quote is essential for the start of the book's breakdown. The first part states the possibility that Oedipa is the source to all these conspiracies and nothing that has happened so far is real. The second part states the condition that she requires for the unreality of all the previous events relating the mail conspiracy to be confirmed. Shorty after she is taken to a bar and talks to a man that introduces her to a society similar to A.A. that deals with love instead and tries to cure its members of that addiction. That would have been the last point where what we see can be interpreted as some form of reality, after that, everything in the book changes.

When Oedipa starts to see the post-horn everywhere and discovers all the W.A.S.T.E mailing system she no longer appears to be in contact with reality. The things the sees from that moment on are like a tour through a mad and irrational mind trying to find a conspiracy by searching for symbols which mean nothing and might not even be there. It is also shocking how lightly she is taking her mental state. She has created a conspiracy out of symbols and words which mean nothing (since it has been said several times to her) about a secret mail system that goes against the U.S mail system simply because is the government's monopoly. Making a conspiracy from symbols which you are told mean nothing and basing it on irrational foundations isn't just "a little something for her shrink to fix". (88) Oedipa has gone mad (or maybe was mad from the beginning), she realizes this but doesn't take it like the serious issue it is. This could be a way to portray the absurdity that exists in our world. Many times there are huge problems we take lightly and only later do we realize their importance.