The Lathe Of Heaven

From their first meeting, it is clear that George and Heather are attracted to one another. As the narrative progresses and they come to know one another, they are drawn together not by their similarities, but rather, by the uniqueness and beauty that they see in one another. Heather initially perceives George as weak and irritatingly passive. However, she soon decides that he is a person of real integrity and inner strength, suggesting that a passivity toward The Will to Power is actually the most ethical stance. When she encounters him at his cabin, she sees in him an inner strength beyond anything she has ever perceived in another person. Heather is drawn to this quiet strength and self-restraint, and George demonstrates that an obsession with power is a weakness, and a passiveness toward power symbolizes inner balance. Moreover, George is astonished when she tracks him to his cabin and admits to understanding his effective dreams. In allowing her to suggest a dream to him, something that he has come to resist in each session with Haber, George reveals how much he trusts Heather.

When George and Heather rush back to the Institute to prevent Haber from having an effective dream that will destroy the world, they are separated again. For George, the loss of Heather is bitter collateral damage that he attributes to his single act of courage and bravery in stopping Haber from destroying the world. George’s passivity is fully realized in this moment, as he must physically stop Haber, which suggests that in the face of great evil, the path toward balance is actually resistance. While George knows that he cannot play God, he is willing to step into his power as a citizen of the world who is interested in its preservation. Though he has lost Heather, he seeks to maintain balance by stopping Haber. Moreover, even in his grief, George is able to move forward and build a life that is much more fulfilling, as he designs things that are remarkably in balance. In the showroom, George hears Heather and goes to see her, discovering that she looks and sounds like he remembered. In recognizing each other, The Lathe of Heaven ends on a romantic, hopeful note—George and Heather demonstrating balance and the need for continual renewal as humans. This peaceful ending serves as a stark contrast to Haber, who is in a mental-healthcare facility after his play for power destroyed him on the “lathe of heaven,” which further demonstrates the danger of claiming total control and making decisions on behalf of an entire group. The novel is a cautionary tale about relationships with power, as well as a lesson on ethics and the necessity of both impassivity and action in a world where totalitarian decision-making for humanity leads to ruin.