The Floating World

The narrator experiences intense grief after the death of Cora, a recurring dream featuring a heavy black cloud that symbolizes evil. The cloud’s approach in the dream causes physical pressure on the narrator’s chest, making breathing difficult. Upon waking, the narrator practices breathing exercises to manage panic and reflects on the persistent absence of Cora each morning. The dream is so vivid that it blends with reality, as seen when the narrator mistakes a spinning hubcap for a cosmic object, realizing they are dreaming. The narrator also observes a spider on the curtain rail, which may have influenced their dream imagery.

The narrator attempts to ground themselves in daily routines, such as taking a cold shower to shake off the night’s distress. They prepare coffee for their flatmate Rotimi, avoiding the news due to its distressing content. The narrator considers visiting Tate Modern to view artwork by Reith, an artist whose work they admire, despite ethical concerns about working for a luxury property development. The narrator reflects on their dissatisfaction with their current job as a teacher and the financial appeal of the new opportunity, which offers a significant salary increase.

The narrator finds beauty in London’s urban environment, such as the sound of empty nitrous oxide canisters being punted down the pavement, trainers hanging from telephone lines, and a man eating peri-peri chicken outside a station. At Blackfriars, the narrator buys a croissant and sits in a garden at St. Paul’s, feeding ants and interacting with one in a moment of connection. The narrator describes the city as vibrant and alive, with electric sympathy between its elements, such as elevators rising in glass buildings and the river flowing beneath. This sense of harmony contrasts with the narrator’s personal turmoil.

The narrator visits Tate Modern to see Reith’s artwork, which consists of three Perspex cubes resembling snow globes. Each cube contains colored pigments agitated by air bursts, with the frequency of agitation tied to air quality data from cities like Hackney in East London. The pigments are matched to Turner and Monet’s sunsets, which were historically caused by pollution. The artwork critiques environmental degradation by making beauty dependent on atmospheric poisoning. The narrator associates this work with Cora, recalling a past visit where they were enthralled by Reith’s unconventional approach to art.

While viewing Reith’s artwork, the narrator experiences a hallucination of Cora standing beside them, smiling. This vision is interrupted by a disturbance in another gallery, where a painting is smeared with blood and a protestor shouts about oppression. The narrator feels overwhelmed and disoriented, imagining themselves trapped in the role of a parrot in a birdcage, forced to engage with art against their will. Panic sets in, and the narrator flees the museum, reflecting on the oppressive nature of cultural institutions. They consider burning down museums as a radical solution to societal issues.