Moment

The Moment is a foundational concept in The Man in the High Castle, representing the unique, dynamic, and all-encompassing configuration of the present that determines the possibilities for action and understanding. It is not merely a point in time but a qualitative state, a confluence of forces that can be discerned through the ancient Chinese oracle, the I Ching. The characters repeatedly consult the oracle to understand the nature of the Moment they inhabit, seeking guidance on how to act in a world where the Axis victory has created a reality that is both oppressive and morally ambiguous. The Moment is the lens through which the novel examines fate, free will, and the search for authenticity in a world of profound uncertainty.

The Moment as a Framework for Decision-Making

The characters in the novel use the I Ching to interpret the Moment and to guide their actions. Frank Frink, after losing his job, consults the oracle to ask, "How should I approach Wyndam-Matson in order to come to decent terms with him?" He obtains Hexagram Fifteen, Ch'ien (Modesty), which he interprets as a favorable omen, advising him to adopt a humble and patient attitude. The oracle's response is not a prediction of a fixed future but a diagnosis of the present Moment, suggesting that the correct course of action is to wait and hope for a favorable turn of events. Similarly, Nobusuke Tagomi, anxious about his meeting with Robert Childan, consults the oracle and receives Hexagram Twenty-eight, Ta Kuo (The Preponderance of the Great), with the line "A withered poplar puts forth flowers. An older woman takes a husband. No blame. No praise." This he interprets as a clear indication that Childan will have nothing of worth to offer, a judgment that shapes his expectations and his subsequent actions. The Moment, as revealed by the oracle, provides a framework for understanding the present and making strategic choices.

The Moment and the Nature of Reality

The concept of the Moment is also tied to the novel's exploration of reality and illusion. When Frank Frink consults the oracle about starting a jewelry business with Ed McCarthy, he receives Hexagram Eleven, T'ai (Peace), a very favorable judgment. However, the moving line at the top, "The wall falls back into the moat. Use no army now. Make your commands known within your own town. Perseverance brings humiliation," is one of the most dismal lines in the entire book. Frink is baffled by the contradiction between the favorable hexagram and the ominous line, and he wonders, "You can't have good fortune and doom simultaneously." He eventually concludes that the judgment refers to his personal venture, while the line points to a future catastrophe for all mankind. This duality reflects the novel's central tension: the Moment can contain both hope and despair, and the individual must navigate this ambiguity without a clear understanding of the ultimate outcome. The Moment is not a simple, linear progression but a complex, layered reality that defies easy interpretation.

The Moment and the Individual's Response

The novel emphasizes that the individual's response to the Moment is crucial, even if the outcome is uncertain. After receiving the ominous line about the wall falling back into the moat, Frink decides to proceed with his business anyway, thinking, "I should take my tools, get my motors from McCarthy, open my shop, start my piddling business, go on despite the horrible line. Be working, creating in my own way right up to the end, living as best I can, as actively as possible, until the wall falls back into the moat for all of us, all mankind." This decision reflects a form of existential courage: to act in accordance with one's own values and purpose, even in the face of inevitable doom. The Moment, in this sense, is not a deterministic trap but a call to authentic action. Robert Childan, after a humiliating dinner with the Kasouras, reflects on the need to adapt to the changing Moment: "The Moment changes. One must be ready to change with it. Or otherwise left high and dry. Adapt." The ability to read the Moment and respond accordingly is presented as a key to survival and, perhaps, to a meaningful life.

The Moment and the Collective Fate

The concept of the Moment also extends to the collective fate of nations and the world. Tagomi, after the shooting of the SD men, consults the oracle and receives Hexagram Forty-Seven, K'un (Oppression/Exhaustion), which he interprets as the Moment for all of them. This hexagram, with no moving lines, suggests a static, oppressive situation from which there is no immediate escape. The Moment, in this context, is a period of profound crisis, a time when the forces of history seem to have conspired to create a dead end. The novel's climax, in which Juliana Frink confronts Hawthorne Abendsen and learns that his novel was written using the I Ching, reveals the ultimate implication of the Moment: that the very fabric of reality, including the outcome of World War II, may be contingent on the choices made within a particular Moment. The oracle's answer to Juliana's question about why Abendsen wrote The Grasshopper Lies Heavy is Hexagram Sixty-One, Chung Fu (Inner Truth), which she interprets as meaning that the book is true: that Germany and Japan did lose the war. This revelation suggests that the Moment is not a fixed, objective reality but a fluid, subjective experience that can be shaped by belief and action. The Moment, in the end, is a mystery that can be approached but never fully grasped, a call to live with courage and integrity in the face of the unknown.