Section IV: “Loss of Grasp” by Serge Bouchardon
“Loss of Grasp” by Serge Bouchardon is one of the examples of what Astrid Ensslin names as ludic-literary text – a text that combines the characteristics of literature and video games. The meaning and the theme of "Loss of Grasp" are expressed through the level of interactivity and participation of the audience, rather than actual linguistic or visual content. This literary game is designed based on the eternal existential crisis of human endeavors, that is the loss of individual’s control over their own life and destiny. Within six slides, this literary game engages the readers in a transformative journey, where they participate in the story as the unnamed narrator. The slides lead the audience through a path of self-discovery, that takes them from an illusion of control to an awareness of the reality where they suddenly lose control over their life and destiny. As the audience move from one slide to another, they become part of the narrative, as they can control the movements of words and colors by moving the cursor or pressing the keys. As long as they have the illusion that they can control their destiny, they can move the cursor or press keys to make changes to the interface. But as the narrative progresses and they encounter self-doubt, they gradually lose control over the words and colors.
At the beginning, when the audience have control over their life, they can direct the appearance and motion of the colors. The colors reveal themselves according to the way the audience control the mouse. However, soon the audience lose grasp of controlling that motion and the movement of the colors becomes arbitrary. The colors automatically move and change directions, embodying the gradual loss of control. However, still the audience can click the mouse. In the penultimate slide, when the audience is asked to make a decision in terms of time for a meeting, they are given three options: “Press 1 for a meeting in 10 years,” “Press 2 for a meeting in 3 hours,” and “Press 3 for a meeting now.” However, the final illusion of control is broken in the last slide, because no matter which option the audience chose, they end up being on the same slide. The audience completely lose control in the last slide because the cursor goes away. The beautiful background sound of musical instrument fades into chaotic human voices, emphasizing the break in the linear thinking about life while also reinforcing the fact that the audience is only one of these many unnamed voices. When the audience begin interacting with this e-lit piece and have control over the interface, they think that they are king ("I am the king of the world" appears on screen). But this sudden realization that they are just one in many voices, contributes to the overall emotion of loss of control and uncertainty. This literary game leaves the audience with only one certainty – that is the perpetual uncertainty of human endeavors.
