We Can Remember It for You Wholesale by Philip K. Dick is a science fiction novelette about the life of Douglas Quail, whose ultimate desire is to take a trip to Mars which leads him to Rekal Incorporated. The story explores the themes of memory manipulation and the commercialization of memory through artificial memory implants.
We Can Remember It for You Wholesale | Summary
‘We Can Remember It for You Wholesale’ by Philip K. Dick follows the events in the life of Douglas Quail. He lives an ordinary lifestyle and is a clerk at the West Coast Emigration Bureau, a government agency. He is fascinated by the planet Mars and his biggest dream is to see Mars before he dies. Douglas’s wife, Kristen is tired of her husband’s obsession with Mars and discourages him from dreaming irrational fantasies about the alien planet.
Tired of mundane activities in the life of “a miserable little salaried employee”, Douglas comes across “REKAL INCORPORATED” in Chicago, where he goes to receive an extra-factual memory implant of having visited Mars. The receptionist directs him to Mr. McClane, a friendly middle-aged man, who promises Quail tangible proof of his trip to Mars while guaranteeing a refund if he remembers the details of the trip to Mars.
Thinking he would never be able to achieve his dream of visiting Mars, Quail settles for the memory implant at Rekal Incorporated. Further, two technicians: Lowe and Keeler assure him of not remembering any detail of visiting the firm or having heard of their existence. Quail is put under sedation and the two technicians are shocked to find out that Quail regains memories of who he is, revealing that he is an Agent for Interplan who was on Mars for a month.
Worried about the psychotic interlude that Quail might have to undergo, Keeler suggests reviving Quail without any false memory implantation and sending him back, while returning half of his fee. In the cab to the residential end of Chicago, Douglas Quail has a hazy memory of his month-long trip to Mars. He remembers bringing back moribund examples of Martian fauna, and while searching for the container of Martian maw-worms in his pocket, he finds an envelope from Rekal Incorporated, which contained money and a paper slip signed by McClane.
On his way back to Rekal, he calls Kristen asking whether he had taken a simulated trip to Mars. She furiously hangs up on the call, assuming he is drunk. Douglas Quail returns to the company and angrily demands the rest of the fee, as the operation was a failure and he remembers details of his visit to Rekal. He returns home, pondering on the wording to Better Business Bureau regarding the issuing of the complaint, he finds a box of smuggled Martian Fauna.
He confronts his wife on whether he has gone to Mars and frustrated with his obsession, she leaves him. Two armed men in plum uniform of the Interplan Police Agency enter his house and inform him about a telepathic transmitter that is wired within Quail’s skull, which allows them to keep track of Quail’s daily actions and thoughts. Through their interaction, Quail finally remembers that he is an assassin and killed the leader of a political organization, after getting past fifteen bodyguards.
The guards request him to surrender but Quail manages to escape and joins the mob of peds hurrying along the runnels. He thinks to himself, while sitting on the park bench that through the telepathic transmitter, the Interplan will follow him. Quail’s commanders communicate to him through the transmitter and he suggests a false-memory template where he lives an average, routine life and has never been to Mars.
Quail’s commanders agree to help him as part of a favor returned and are placed with an Interplan psychiatrist to determine his fantasy wish. They discover a grotesque dream of his childhood, that when he was nine years old, Quail prevents an invasion on Earth by mice-like creatures, by showing them kindness and mercy. Quail feels like the most important person on Earth who kept the place safe from alien rule. Thinking of his childhood fantasies as quaint and grandiose, McClane, the senior police officer, and Quail return to REKAL in Chicago. Lowe and Keeler are yet again in shock as Quail’s memories turn out to be real.
We Can Remember It for You Wholesale | Analysis
‘We Can Remember It for You Wholesale’ is a science fiction novelette written by Philip K. Dick. It was originally published in the magazine ‘The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction’ in April 1966.
The story is narrated from a third person point of view, allowing readers an external perspective of the events about to unfold in the protagonist, Douglas Quail’s life. The narrative technique also presents an insight into the thoughts of the characters, bringing objectivity to the plot.
The setting of the story is primarily in Chicago, which serves as a backdrop for Quail’s dull life. He wishes and yearns to go to Mars. This suggests that the character of Quail is motivated by childhood fantasies and desires of planets, extra-territorial objects, etc. It also implies that Quail desires an adventure and escape that is beyond ordinary. The juxtaposition of mundane details with elements of fantasy adds depth to the narrative and highlights the contrast between Quail’s desires and his everyday life.
His fantasies about Mars explain the frustration of his wife Kristen, who is fed up with his daydreaming because he fails to be present in reality. The symbol of Mars represents escapism from the ordinary and is a driving force behind his actions and decisions throughout the narrative.
His desperate wish to visit Mars leads him to Rekal Incorporated, an artificial memory implantation center that will provide Quail with almost real experiences of having visited Mars. False memory implantation signifies the blurring of boundaries between real and fictional experiences and challenges the concept of memory as unique to one’s identity.
The story also suggests the commodification of memory which is considered a product that can be bought and sold. McClane promises tangible proofs of Quail’s trip to Mars like postcards, film shots, names of people that Quail will meet, etc. His attempts signify the need to give memory a form that makes it believable for people around the protagonist.
We Can Remember It for You Wholesale | Title
The title suggests that it must have been a tagline of the company Rekal Incorporated, which helps its customers like Quail by false memory implants about his trip to Mars. It introduces the theme of memory manipulation and sets the stage for an exploration of memory as a product. Rekal Incorporated promises customers like Quail that their false-memory implants will be cost-effective and superior to real experiences. Thus, the title reflects the company’s proposition of offering wholesale memories, suggesting that memories can be manufactured, bought, and sold like any other product.
It challenges the typical understanding of memory as personal and a unique aspect of an individual’s identity. ‘We Can Remember It for You Wholesale’ emphasizes the potential power of memory manipulation to unlock hidden or forgotten experiences, blurring the lines between reality and fiction.
We Can Remember it for You Wholesale | Character Sketch
Douglas Quail is the protagonist of the story ‘We Can Remember It for You Wholesale’. He is portrayed as a miserable salaried employee, trapped in a mundane existence and something greater. He is obsessed with Mars and frequently daydreams about embarking on an exciting journey to the alien planet. However, he is fully aware of his fantasies and that he will never be able to visit them.
The reality of his limited means and the discouragement from his wife prevents him from pursuing his desire and leads him to seek an alternative solution i.e., false memory implants. He settles for a cost-effective memory implant and believes these artificial implants will make him experience Mars, without leaving Earth. This decision highlights his desperation and willingness to embrace an artificial experience rather than face the limitations of reality.
One of his personality traits is narcissism because he envisions himself as the hero who is capable of saving the earth from an invasion of mice-like alien creatures. Quail is a dynamic character that sets the plot in motion through his decision of artificial memory implantation and his interaction with the other characters shapes the events that unfold.
We Can Remember It for You Wholesale | Themes
The central theme of the story- memory manipulation and its commercialization in ‘We Can Remember it for You Wholesale’ highlights the concept of altering memories for profit and its commodification in the story.
McClane explains that Interplanetary travel is the bread and butter of Rekal Incorporated which highlights that it implants false memories to fulfill people’s desires of escapism and adventure in an ordinary life, suggesting the commercialization of memory where memories are treated as commodities that can be sold:
“Three Packet-trip to Mars and a Sixty-two packet: secret Interplan spy”
As part of the memory implantation process, Rekal Incorporated fabricates evidence of Martian Fauna in Douglas Quail’s conapt. This manipulation of physical evidence is intended to make the client believe his trip to Mars and serves as proof of the event. Hence, it blurs the lines between what is real and fiction for Quail. Also, it leads to a sense of uncertainty for both the character and the readers questioning the authenticity of his experiences and memories, reinforcing the theme of memory as a flexible and malleable entity. It also suggests a future where artificial memory implantation can be done which raises questions about the nature of reality and the commodification of personal experiences.
We Can Remember It for You Wholesale | Literary Devices
Philip K. Dick in his short story utilizes various symbols to explore themes of memory manipulation and its commodification. One of the key symbols is Mars, which represents a means of escape from the mundane life of the protagonist, Douglas Quail. Mars serves as a symbol of Quail’s yearning for something beyond his ordinary existence in Chicago. His trip to the alien planet is an opportunity for Quail to break free from the confines of mundane life. His desires and motives are reflected in his obsession with Mars. It is an intangible symbol that is given authenticity and tangible form through the false memory implants at Rekal Incorporated, blurring the lines between real and lived experiences.
The author also uses the device of foreshadowing to create suspense and hint at future events in the life of the protagonist. The experience of Quail’s memory implant about Mars serves as foreshadowing because it sets the mood for subsequent revelation about the validity of Quail’s memory of saving Earth from mice-like alien creatures. The fact that his memories of Mars were proved to be real creates anticipation for the readers when he visits the firm again for a memory implant. It adds to the depth of the story and keeps the readers engaged in what lies ahead.
