Galax Arena And The Cultural Issues

How does cultural difference function among the peb who live in the Galax Arena?

Rubinstein’s Galax-Arena (1992) is a science fiction text which shows that a barrier between cultures can be created through a fictitious scientific experiment called Project Genesis Five. Rubinstein creates cultural difference not only between members of the peb, but also between the peb and Vexa; which in turn shows the racial impacts of cross-cultural exchange. The text outlines the impacts of science on cultures, more over how science experiments can affect people; and how people who use science can create difference between and among cultures. Some of the cultural barriers and impacts created by the science in Galax-Arena include racism that occurs from using other cultures for benefit through resources; de-construction of a human over time into animalistic behaviour by means of experimentation; and communication by cross-cultural exchange referring to the ways in which it can evolve or have negative impacts.

In Galax-Arena the racism of using science on other cultures occurs when Project Genesis Five hidden under the mask of alien-other: Vexa, kidnaps children of gymnastic abilities for evolutionary benefits. Thus the children become a group used by science as Bradford writes, ‘as a resource or benefit, so that characters from the dominant mainstream gain knowledge or advance in maturity through exposure to difference’ ( 2006, p117). This therefore demonstrates the negative impact of racism that occurs by cross-cultural exchange against the peb through the science of transferring adrenalin for defying age. The narrative leads the reader to believe that the novel moves into a science fiction by being transported to another planet, however with insight we realise they have been transported into a science experiment, and thus the novel in itself is always a science fiction novel by its use of experimental science.

Ousby (2006) states that Rubinstein ‘interrogates the truth of ‘science’’ in the scenario where children ‘perform in a dangerous circus, where their deaths stimulate the audience’, thus they are used for their abilities by science to benefit one culture, the Vexa. Joella finds out quite quickly that the Vexa like ‘risk, excitement, danger’ and thus she eludes the reader to the science behind the reason why the children are forced to perform like animals; ‘The performers wore pulse bands around their wrists and temples, which picked up and relayed the adrenalin charge to the spectators. The greater the risk for the performer, the greater the thrill for the audience’ (p42).