59 pages • 1 hour read
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
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Themes
Classic vs. Romantic
Throughout the book, the narrator compares rational, objective thought with more artistic, subjective ways of thinking. This contrast is highlighted in the difference between John’s and the narrator’s views on motorcycle maintenance. The narrator, who maintains his own motorcycle, calls his own methodical approach a “classic” mindset, while the hands-off, artistic approach of both John and Sylvia is a “romantic” mindset. Each approach sees the other in a negative light. The romantic view, for instance, is a reaction to the classical view’s inability to encompass certain aspects of human experience. However, as the book explains, neither approach is solely sufficient.
As the novel also explains, the inadequacy of classic reason hindered Phaedrus in his pursuit of knowledge. Phaedrus himself concluded that there is no explanation for the fact that there is an infinite number of hypotheses, the very same fact that caused him to abandon science for philosophy in search for answers. He wanted to find an explanation or way to evaluate this infinite number of possibilities based on merit. By examining philosophy, Phaedrus soon discovered his concept of Quality. Instead of residing on only one side of the dichotomy, Quality expands reason and is therefore the cause of both sides. By its nature, it includes elements that were previously seen as irrational, as well. Quality is meant to bridge the divide between classic and romantic ways of approaching life.
Given the “irrational” nature that Quality seems to have, it is hard for people to understand it, let alone accept it. Phaedrus, however, and the narrator with his application of the concept, see Quality as the way out of technological hopelessness and the division between classic and romantic thought.
Duality
The theme of duality runs throughout the novel. Many of the thought patterns displayed by the narrator and Phaedrus are a direct result of approaching the world from an “either/or” perspective. This usually manifests in the subjective versus the objective, which has governed western thought for quite a long time. When the narrator talks to the group who assembled for a party at the DeWesses’ home, he decries the dichotomy between art and technology. Further on in the novel, the narrator explains the Japanese concept of “mu,” which means “no thing,” to counter the process of dualistic application in contemporary life. He implores readers to seek moments of “mu,” times when a yes/no answer cannot be given. These moments allow one to open up to the possibilities, to become aware of habitual thought and seek insight from the open space of knowledge.
An interesting aspect of duality that is never reconciled is the duality between the narrator and Phaedrus. The two are never reconciled, and for most of the novel, the narrator is actively running from Phaedrus in one form or another. At best, this “present reality” of the text underscores how difficult it is to overcome dualistic beliefs, even when the answers or the tools to help find the solution are readily at hand.
Quality
Quality is the concept that lies at the heart of the novel. It is Quality that causes Phaedrus to abandon scientific reason and delve into philosophy in search for answers. From his laboratory research, Phaedrus comes to realize that a simple “subjective” and “objective” explanation of things was insufficient. There was an infinite number of hypotheses, but no way to know how to choose a hypothesis based on its merit. At the same time, when Phaedrus began teaching, there was no way to discern good from bad, which seems neither subjective nor objective. The novel recounts Phaedrus’s exploration of Quality and his attempt to define the concept without truly defining it.
To this end, Phaedrus finally develops a philosophy around Quality. In his philosophy, the subjective and objective are actually subordinate to Quality, making it the cause or origin point of everything. It can prevent people from pigeonholing matters into separate, stuck categories of understanding, such as art and technology. When Phaedrus realizes this about Quality, however, he also realized that it correlates to the “Tao” envisioned by Lao Tzu. Realizing this correlation was the tipping point that led Phaedrus to insanity. The novel, broken up into Chautaquas, is an attempt by the narrator to disseminate Phaedrus’s ideas about Quality and apply them practically in everyday life.
Identity
Identity is a theme that has its roots with the narrator, but which affects nearly everyone in the novel in some way. Early on, the narrator mentions technology as a dark presence, something that both John and Sylvia are running from but cannot name or identify. Everyone seems to suffer from it, but no one can identify the culprit. At the same time, identity is hindered because people think in a traditional dualistic approach, becoming stuck with tasks such as identifying a problem or solution.
Identity issues also plague the narrator, who reveals that he underwent electroshock therapy. After the therapy, he developed a different personality. He separates his present-day self from his past identity, referring to his “past life” as Phaedrus. Throughout the novel, Phaedrus tries to reconnect with the narrator, though the narrator avoids reconciliation. He explains the ideas and thoughts of Phaedrus, but never finds resolution with his old self, highlighting the difficulty in breaking free from dualistic modes of thought.
Chris is also affected by identity. At one point the narrator informs John and Sylvia that he is exhibiting early signs of mental illness. Additionally, the narrator’s conflicted identity also complicates his relationship with Chris. Though Chris may be too young to fully understand the mental turmoil his father endures, he has noticed a decisive change in his father’s personality when he returns from treatment. Chris often remarks about this change. The narrator attempts to fill in the shoes of Phaedrus and be the father figure he is supposed to be, even though he no longer feels like that person. He knows that, “at the Quality level,” Chris sees the attempt and knows his real father is forever gone. This is perhaps the reason for Chris’s own mental issues.
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