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The Broken Compass
The planetarium is one of the buildings that Dr. Bodkin remembers from his youth living in London, and Strangeman believes that Bodkin has treasure of some sort hidden there. While the lagoon is full, the planetarium is a symbol of potential and rebirth. It holds the potential for treasure, and for Kerans during his dive, it holds the potential for him to die, embrace what he sees in his dreams, and descend into the "time seas." However, after Strangeman drains the lagoon, the planetarium takes on the exact opposite symbolism. The sight of it filled with mud is one of the major reasons why Kerans is horrified by the new world before him, as it's no longer an incubator for life, but proof that Strangeman's hope for the world is in direct opposition to Kerans's vision of a future in which humans have ceded their spot as the dominant species.
The Planetarium Quotes in The Drowned World
The The Drowned World quotes below all refer to the symbol of The Planetarium. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 8
Quotes
"Dr. Bodkin, did you live in London as a child? You must have many sentimental memories to recapture, of the great palaces and museums." He added: "Or are the only memories you have pre-uterine ones?"
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Chapter 9
Quotes
For some reason the womb-like image of the chamber was reinforced rather than diminished by the circular rows of seats, and Kerans heard the thudding in his ears uncertain whether he was listening to the dim subliminal requiem of his dreams.
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Chapter 11
Quotes
No longer the velvet mantle he remembered from his descent, it was no a fragmenting cloak of rotting organic forms, like the vestments of the grave. The once translucent threshold of the womb had vanished, its place taken by the gateway to a sewer.
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The Planetarium Symbol Timeline in The Drowned World
The timeline below shows where the symbol The Planetarium appears in The Drowned World. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
5. Descent into Deep Time
...University quarter yesterday where his father used to teach. He mentions that he saw the planetarium, the shell-like dome of which is still underwater. Bodkin says the sight of it seemed...
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9. The Pool of Thanatos
...completely clear of iguanas and alligators. Kerans looks down through the clear water at the planetarium below. He remembers that he hasn't been in the water in ten years, and he...
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Two crewmembers make a preliminary dive down to the planetarium. A third goes down in a suit with a telephone transmitter, which he uses to...
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Strangeman checks in with Kerans over the radio, and Kerans begins to move towards the planetarium. Inside, Kerans sees that, aside from rust, it's entirely untouched by the outside world. As...
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...find the safe, but Kerans ignores him and sits down in a chair overlooking the auditorium. He thinks the auditorium looks like a womb, and Kerans can't decide if he's listening...
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...feel as if nothing is more important than preserving the "sky" he sees in the dome, which he supposes might be the sky seen during the Triassic period. He begins to...
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Looking up at the dome, Kerans feels as though the water pressure is soothing and that his blood is merging...
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As Kerans returns to the Ritz later, he thinks about his experience in the planetarium. He wonders if he did indeed try to commit suicide, or if Strangeman had tried...
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11. "The Ballad of Mistah Bones"
...dams around the lagoon, piled up on the streets. Kerans, Beatrice, and Bodkin approach the planetarium. Kerans is almost afraid to approach it. When they reach its doors, Kerans peers in...
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12. The Feast of Skulls
...feels like a defeated Neptune. The crew begins to chant, and as they pass the planetarium Big Caesar puts the alligator head on Kerans's head. The cart gains speed again, rolls...
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