Genette, Paratext: Thresholds of Interpretation, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paratext
In an earlier post I had explored ways in which cultures, consciously or subconsciously, expressed themselves in video games. Now, as we are continuously touching upon this term "paratext," I wonder if it does not cover these cultural phenomena that become largely apparent to the gamer.
Let me express the thought process that lead me to this journal entry.
I was catching up on the world news, and I came upon the headlines that North Korea is in the process of discontinuing their nuclear programs, talking with representatives from the U.S., Russia, and Japan. This sparked a thought about nuclear reactors and the great degree modern society finds itself immersed in this technology.
I thought back to one of my all-time favortite games: Final Fantasy VII. You start out in the highly industrialized, smog and dirt filled city of Midgar. Here's a picture from the opening FMV:
From this city surrounded by "Mako Reactors," I got the feel that maybe the authors of the game were trying to tell me something about the world in which we live. The Midgar culture is entirely dependent on these reactors for energy, which, the gamer later find out, literally "suck" the life force from the planet. Many could compare this to the social concerns people have today about nuclear power and our growing dependency on resources that are harmful to the planet (i.e., that lead to global warmings).
"Para" is the Ancient Greek preposition meaning "near to." Genette aptly constructs a word that leaves much room for interpretation. Paratext can include all which is associated with the main text. So these cultural inspirations for the authors, interpretations for the reader, become part of that paratext, usually manifest in critical reviews.
These sorts of cultural artifacts do preserve the culture and, as in the example above, point to cultural concerns.
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