Journal 7

In the novel, Stars in My Pocket Like Grains of Sand by Samuel R. Delaney, Rat Korga is a 19 year -old member Rhyonon’s criminal underclass. As the story progresses, it becomes evident that Korga’s sexuality has brought about his miserable life on the planet. On Rhyonon, small physical size is  considered a prerequisite for physical beauty. Sexual relations between people of different sizes on the planet is considered taboo. Rat Korga, who is seven feet tall, is attracted to small men. His attraction of different sizes rather than his sexuality is the issue. Korga goes on to volunteer for RAT which stands for Radical Anxiety Termination. This process involves destroying a number of brain cells in order to remove the part of his personality which includes his volume for creativity and initiative. After Korga undergoes the therapy, he feels content with himself. He is then forced to live a horrible life as being a slave for different institutions. Eventually, the planet of Rhyonon is destroyed due to a large fire across worlds causes by aliens known as the XLV. Rat Korga is the sole survivor of this conflagration on Rhyonon and soon becomes a celebrity.